Home » Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders » Chapter 9: Improving security at work and at home

Regular inspections of office security

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Regular supervision or inspection of office security is very important, because security situations and procedures vary over time, for example, because equipment deteriorates or if there is a high staff turnover. It is also important to achieve some sense of staff ownership of the office security rules.

The person responsible for security must carry out at least one review of office security every six months. With the help of the list below this can take as little as one or two hours. The person in charge of security must ensure that staff feedback is sought before the final report is written, and then present the security report to the organisation in order for the necessary decisions to be made and for action to be taken. The report should then be kept on file until the next security review.

Checklist: Office Security Review

Review of:
Carried out by:
Date:

1. Emergency contacts:

  • Is there a handy and up to date list with telephone numbers and addresses of other local NGOs, emergency hospitals, police, fire brigade and ambulance?

2. Technical and physical barriers (external, internal and interior):

  • Check condition and working order of external gates/fences, doors to the building, windows, walls and roof.
  • Check condition and working order of external lighting, alarms, cameras or video entrance phones.
  • Check key procedures, including that keys are kept securely and code-labelled, assignment of responsibility for controlling keys and copies, and that keys and copies are in good working order. Make sure locks are changed when keys are lost or stolen, and that such incidents are logged.

3. Visitor admission procedures and “filters”:

  • Are admission procedures in operation for all types of visitors? Are all staff familiar with them?
  • Review all recorded security incidents related to admission procedures or ”filters”.
  • Ask those staff members who usually carry out admission procedures if the procedures are working properly, and what improvements are needed.

4. Security in case of accidents:

  • Check the condition of fire extinguishers, gas valves/pipes and water taps, electricity plugs and cables and electricity generators (where applicable).

5. Responsibility and training:

  • Has responsibility for office security been assigned? Is it effective?
  • Is there an office security training programme? Does it cover all the areas included in this review? Have all new staff members been trained? Is the training effective?
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