University staff ‘face threats’

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Title – University staff ‘face threats’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 9th June 2005

Even in the echelons of higher education, staff are not exempt from work place violence. Once a bastion of those who benefited from 'good schooling' and who could afford to attend, University education is now open to the masses. With Universities having to meet government quotas to achieve funding, the net has been extended to include a much wider catchment area.

Although there are undoubted benefits to higher education being available to the masses, with this enlargement, come problems with integration. Universities are not immune from the rest of society, but the basis of them being institutes of higher learning, means that they are often not as well prepared to deal with the problems that arise in society as a whole.

We offer Conflict Management and Resolution Courses (CMR) to help those exposed to it to be better prepared to deal with conflict, aggression and workplace violence.

Through our knowledge of the Security Industry and our experience working within the University and Students’ Union sector we are ideally placed to offer Consultancy in the area of University and Students’ Union security operations and the provision of security services as well as being able to advise on suitable solutions to workplace violence issues those working in these areas may face.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

Scores die in Argentine club fire

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Title – Scores die in Argentine club fire
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 31st December 2004

Basic mistakes and greed account for many of the reasons behind disasters round the world. This is not the first time that a fire has resulted in more deaths then would have occurred if basic safety procedures had been met.

If a list of the worlds public venue fires, where many deaths occurred, were drawn up, many would show similarities. Overcrowding and locked or blocked fire exits turn emergencies into disasters. Anyone who has worked in a venue with a strict capacity will know that if you go over the fire limits the venue quickly turns from comfortable and friendly to fraught and very tense. Fire limits are based on the number of fire exits, size of the venue and distance from inside to the external exit doors, if these limits are ignored and fire escapes are blocked or locked, anyone can see that it is a recipe for disaster.

As it was claimed with this fire, a venue supposedly fit to hold 1500 people was packed with 4000 revellers celebrating New Year, the greed to get as many paying customers in as possible is exasperated by the locking of fire exits, to prevent people getting in without paying. Arguably with 4000 inside this venue, even if the exits had been left open no one else would have been able to gain access anyway, due to the sheer numbers inside.

With a death toll of 175 and the number of injuries a staggering 700+ there can be no doubt that the capacity was ignored on this occasion and they are not alone. It is sometimes staggering the number of venues that ignore their official capacities, the pressure on managers and staff to cram a few extra bodies in when the opportunity arises can sometimes seem impossible to ignore. The targets set for managers by senior management and shareholders can simply be overwhelming.

To counter these pressures, more companies are starting to realise the benefits of good staff training. Conflict Management and Resolution Training (CMR) is now being directed at staff beyond the door supervisor team. The realisation that responsibility for your customers goes beyond this team and that all staff are involved, means that bars and venues can boast staff that can cross over from one job to another and where they truly work as a team, in making environment safer. Well trained staff will realise the dangers of ignoring the rules and the more members of your team that know and understand these rules, will put the peer pressure on maintaining them, rather then thinking if it all goes wrong they will be able to claim ignorance.

We run Fire Safety Courses (FS) and In-House Security Induction Training (IHSI) as well as providing Consultancy Services to help you set up the systems that allow your operation to run confidently so that when an emergency arises your whole team is able to react in a positive manner and respond to ensure the safety of, their colleagues, your customers and your property.

Please visit Our website at www.btbl.co.uk

Figures highlight NHS violence

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Title – Figures highlight NHS violence
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 28th October 2004

A figure such as 68% of all injuries in this workplace (NHS) being as a result if aggression and violence from patients is staggering and should make all of us stand up and question the society in which we live. A society that allows this to happen against those people who have dedicated themselves to the protection and well being of others.

Employers from every sector of the workforce, be they related to the NHS or not, have a responsibility to ensure that they protect their staff. There are many ways of achieving this result, you can increase the physical presence of security staff or the police, you can restrict access to the place of work and you can use modern technologies such as increased CCTV, panic alarms and remote access protection.

We believe that before you consider any of these measures you should consider empowering your staff first. Our Conflict Management & Resolution Course (CMR) will help all those attending to resolve situations before they become aggressive or violent, we concentrate on communication skills and look at the body language as well as other signs and symptoms that can help you to recognise the signals of aggression or violence and therefore give you a head start when it comes to dealing with them.We also recognise that aggression and violence can be at a level already where the point of using your skills to deescalate the situation are useless, as the aggressor has passed the point of comprehension. It is at this stage that there may be a requirement to physically protect yourself from violence and remove yourself from the situation before receiving an injury. Our Physical Intervention course (PI) covers the use of break-away, disengagement and where required restraint techniques. We only teach 'low impact' techniques to allow you to remove yourself from the aggressive situation and call for the help of colleagues or specifically trained staff, such as security guards or the police. We believe that these techniques, that don’t rely on size or strength but rather on your ability to stay calm and to think your way out of the situation, are ideal for dealing with Workplace Violence as they don’t require individuals to use such methods as pre-emptive strikes which take a great deal of practice and if you don’t get them right can lead to further force being used against you.

Please Visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

At least 26 dead as fire consumes nightclub

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Title – At least 26 dead as fire consumes nightclubSource – CNN.com
Date – 21st February 2003

Fires in nightclubs occur all over the world and events where multiple fatalities occur don’t only happen in the developing world. In this example in the USA, arguably the worlds most developed country, regulation proved that it is only part of the solution.

Management bear the responsibility for the activities they put on. Cutting corners can seem tempting when trying to make a venue profitable, but some corners simply can’t be cut.

Too often inspections from Health & Safety or the Fire Service are seen as a test that needs to be passed at all cost. Venues are tidied and faulty equipment removed or repaired in order to pass the inspection. Once it has been confirmed that the inspection has been a success, the venue goes back to it normal sloppy operation.

Inspectors are certainly there to make sure you meet all the demands set on you by local regulations, but most want more then anything to help venues operate in a safe manner, so that they are not called upon to return when the venue needs them in an emergency. Standards they set are the minimum requirement and most progressive and responsible managers will not only meet these but try and exceed them. If a venue requires 3 emergency exits and 15 fire extinguishers is there any harm in having 5 exits and 20 extinguishers? Fire does more then damage property; it can kill in large numbers and cripple businesses. Repairing fire damage can take time and money and time with a venue closed and not earning will put a dent in any business plan. If anyone is hurt or killed the venue will be closed a lot longer as investigations can be protracted over months and years, not to mention that if an individual is found guilty of negligence they can face long custodial sentences.

Training in fire safety can be a start and ensure that all the staff are aware of their responsibilities in the case of an emergency. Our Fire Safety Course (FS) offers the training to your staff in the specific fire safety aspects of the venue in which they work. A consultancy project or Fire Risk Assessment will allow us to explore a venues systems and practices with you, formulate them and set them in motion through training and practice.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

Chicago club was told to close second floor

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Title – Chicago club was told to close second floor – 21 killed in rush down staircase for exit
Source – cnn.com
Date – 19th February 2003

Although the laws and systems in place in the USA are very different to our own in the UK, human reactions tend to be the same. Panic, disorientations and fear can all lead to situations getting out of control very quickly. Learning how to deal with situations without the use of force, aggression or violence avoids you adding to the problem and allows you to start solving it.

Pepper or CS sprays remain offensive weapons in the UK and legitimate Door Supervisors do not carry such articles. However they are freely available in many other parts of the world including our nearest European neighbours and therefore not uncommon in the UK. Used in close confinement such as a bar or club they don’t only affect the person they are sprayed at, but all those in the immediate vicinity and can easily affect several hundred people causing confusion and panic.

Having a competent and rehearsed evacuation plan (these can often be linked to Fire Evacuation plans) enables security staff, Door Supervisors and Managers to deal calmly with any panic that follows a deliberate or accidental discharge of either a pepper or CS spray. Having well trained staff allows them to use every available tool to resolve conflict without the use of force rather then to use force as the first resort rather then the last. Professional door supervisors and security staff resolve problem and do not create them.

Local authority, police or fire officer directives are also there for a reason. These are the professionals who approach your business with an impartial attitude; they are not interested in how much income your business generates, as much as they are in the health and safety of your staff and customers. Directions they give are not just to keep their bosses happy or to irritate you; it is to put their vast experience into practice. When the fire officer gives you your fire limit, their calculation is based on the size of your venue, the number of emergency exits and the number of evacuation routes, as well as the distance from inside a venue to the external emergency doors.

Many people miss out on a perfect opportunity for free consultancy from fire officers, police or local authorities when they are carrying out checks and inspections. The individuals tasked with these inspections will offer you informed advice that can help grow your business, providing you approach these events in a positive way rather then considering them an irritation.

Training in Fire Safety (FS) or our Consultancy Service to formulate a solid and well rehearsed evacuation plan as part of your fire risk assessment will go some way to enabling staff to deal with situations where panic and confusion occur. We also provide Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) training and the National Certificate for Door Supervisors courses (NCDS) that train individuals to deal with situations that require tact and diplomacy as well as good communication skills, to avoid them turning violent. We also examine through our physical interventions course, how to bring situations that have already turned violent under control without the use of excessive force or any kind of aggressive action. Our Physical Interventions (PI) training is based on teaching low impact techniques that do not require force or strength to achieve their goal and are less likely to attract a physical backlash from aggressors.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

Disco Tragedies

Title – Disco Tragedies
Source – The Independent
Date – April 2000

Tragedies and serious incidents in nightclubs and other licensed premises occur on a regular basis both at home and abroad. Despite better regulations having a positive effect on the severity of these incidents on the whole, they continue to occur on a regular basis despite the best efforts of the Security Industry to provide a more professional service to its clients.

Wherever large numbers of people will congregate, even without the addition of large quantities of alcohol that are consumed, problems and situations will occur. They will continue to be targeted when individuals want to make an impact for political or private reasons.

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Seven killed in gas bomb attack on Lisbon club

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Title – Seven killed in gas bomb attack on Lisbon club
Source – The Independent
Date – April 2000

Places where the public gather are always at risk from attack as the high profile nature of these attacks makes an impact not only locally, but worldwide. This attack in Lisbon, Portugal involved the assailants throwing (what are described as) “poisonous gas bombs” into a busy club. The majority of the casualties and injuries, as is common in this type of incident, were from the stampede that followed, as panic set in amongst the 1000 strong crowd. This is not unusual when this type of incident occurs, suddenly people feel like they can’t breath and their eyes are stinging to the point where some of them can’t see, they start to run in a vain attempt to find the exit route, the panic is such that nothing else but getting out has any importance to them. They will fight like animals until their goal is achieved.

The risk from such attacks although being low remains present at all times. These types of incident can occur at any time and without warning, the difference between all out panic and controlled evacuation is a very fine one. Having witnessed pepper spray being let off in a nightclub in the UK I know the devastating and immediate effect this can have on a large group of individuals in the area and how the crowd dynamics can quickly lead to mass panic if not controlled.

Our training courses in Fire Safety (FS), In-House Security Induction (IHSI) and the National Certificate for Door Supervisor (NCDS) as well as Conflict Management & Resolution Courses (CMR) that all help prepare staff better for such an incident and instruct how best to deal with it should it ever arise. We also provide Consultancy Services to allow us to evaluate the existing structures (or in the case of new venues we provide systems and structure for our clients) in place within your organisation and to advise how best to change them to improve the service offered to customers and the safety of everyone within your venue.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk