Provide reception services Handout 3: Security procedures

Organisational security One of the most important duties of the receptionist is that relating to organisation security. As the first person to be encountered, the receptionist is responsible for monitoring the visitors to and from the building. It is important to know who is in the building, apart from staff, in the event of a fire or other emergency, but it is also important not to have unknown people wandering around in order to prevent other security issues such as theft or disclosure of confidential information. In addition, some areas in certain organisations may present health and safety issues for unofficial personnel, such as the requirement for protective clothing.

Entry, departure, security and confidentiality procedures Visitors’ register Issue of visitors’ badges Escorting the visitor Not leaving the reception unattended No storage of visitors’ belongings Vigilance when receiving parcels/packages Not leaving confidential information around. These are general entry, departure, security and confidentiality procedures carried out in most organisations. There may be other procedures in your own organisation that you will need to be aware of.

Visitors’ register records: name time of arrival and departure Visitor monitoring Visitors’ register records: name time of arrival and departure car registration if they have used the car park. Visitors’ badges. The visitors’ register is important in order to know who is in the building at any one time. It may also record details such as company name and who they are visiting in order to trace them if they need to be contacted or there is a problem. If the organisation has a car park, the visitor will be asked for their car registration if they have used it in case it is necessary to move their car and to monitor unofficial parking. Visitors’ badges – most organisations issue staff with an identify badge/card and expect them to challenge unknown people not wearing a badge. A special visitor badge identifies the person as an official visitor. These badges should be dated and collected in on departure so that they cannot be used again.

Sample visitor register Date Name Company Visiting Car reg. Time in Time out 6 July Sally Lun City Scape Jack Pearce - 09.25 “ Peter Gray Jacky Lane KK3 0DD 09.30 10.10 Use the 24-hour time format for clarity. It is important to be accurate in recording the time in/out in case of emergency evacuation to know exactly who is in the building.

Never leave the reception unattended Security measures. Reception security Escorting visitors Never leave the reception unattended Security measures. Escorting – The person the visitor has arranged to see should be contacted promptly and requested to collect their visitor. If there are enough reception staff, a receptionist may escort the visitor to their destination. Never leaving the reception unattended – Not only does it create a bad impression if a visitor arrives and there is no one to receive them, but it is important to prevent unauthorised access to the building. You should therefore know who to contact to cover the reception if there is an emergency or you are called away. Security measures – Organisations often have entry barriers, key code pads, security guards, CCTV, etc and you should ensure these are always working as intended, ie barriers are not left open, visitors are not given key codes, reporting any failures to the appropriate person.

Other duties – being security aware Suspicious packages Delivery companies/messengers Visitors’ belongings. Suspicious packages – When receiving packages, the receptionist should be vigilant and look for anything suspicious – does the package have a ‘normal’ appearance? Is it correctly wrapped and addressed? Delivery companies/messengers ‒ What about the person delivering packages? Most organisations require messengers to remove crash helmets before entering the building for identification purposes. It is sensible to post a notice to this effect at the building’s entrance. Visitors’ belongings ‒ Visitors should not be allowed to leave belongings in the reception area as they may present a security scare, real or otherwise. It will need to be politely explained when visitors ask to leave, eg a suitcase, that there is no storage facility.

Security of information ‒ confidentiality Be careful not to disclose sensitive or personal information. There is a danger with regular visitors, that you will relax and treat them as if they were staff. Ensure your conversations are about neutral subjects. Avoid being tricked into revealing information that your employer may not want outsiders to know. As the reception area is a relatively public place, it is not an appropriate place for confidential information. The receptionist will need to be careful in what s/he says to visitors and be aware when they are ‘fishing’ for information that it may not be appropriate to give out.

Responsibility for visitors in Reception: emergency evacuation Health and safety Responsibility for visitors in Reception: emergency evacuation hazards. Responsibility for visitors in Reception – You will need to take responsibility for the health and safety of visitors in the reception area so you must ensure you are familiar with relevant health and safety procedures. Emergency evacuation – If the fire alarm sounds you will need to ensure visitors in Reception go to the nearest assembly point. You will need to take the visitors’ book/register so that all outside personnel in the building can be accounted for. Hazards – Any hazards that come to your notice must be reported to the appropriate person and flagged up as such, eg placing a warning in the case of spills.

Questions?