Author: Ed Morawski
ISBN: 978-1440410420
The title just about sums it all up Be Safe: Everything You Need To Know About Security To Be Safe wherein security expert and author Ed Morawski gives readers a comprehensive snapshot of the world of safety and security in your business and home.
Using his many years of experience as a security expert having been employed in a range of positions from technical support manager for the largest security company in California to starting his own Hi-Tech-Consulting assisting small business customers in securing electronic security systems utilizing the very latest technology, Morawski approaches the subject matter with a passionate desire to teach us how to prevent all types of loss through the best case means or the “Loss Prevention Approach." As pointed out, this approach will be a key element in choosing the best security contractor for your business, facility or home and it is designed not only to provide solutions but also to keep your losses to a minimum. Moreover, it is essential that the “Loss Prevention Approach" not only examines past and present threats but also anticipates future ones.
Weighing in at 220 pages and divided into twenty-five sections including a glossary and index, Everything You Need To Know About Security To Be Safe faces a tough challenge of covering a hefty subject matter in a small space. Yet, Morawski pulls its off with his keen perception and deep knowledge as he drills deep into all aspects of electronic security from fire and burglar alarms to sophisticated closed circuit video surveillance (CCTV) and card access systems. One caveat, however, and as the author mentions, electronics cannot solve all your problems and in many cases it will also be necessary to have a physical barrier and human security.
Just looking at the opening section of the manual may give you some sleepless nights when you consider the multitude of external and internal threats when operating a business. For example, when you are open for business, there are always external risks as: hold-ups, takeover robberies, forgery, fraud, office theft, warehouse theft, executive threats and personal safety, workplace violence, vandalism to company property, vandalism to company vehicles, vandalism of employee vehicles, terrorism, fire, earthquakes and natural disasters. As for internal risks, you have to take into account the possibility of dishonest employees who may be involved in theft of goods and inventory, forgery, fraud, embezzlement, theft of company assets and tools, theft of proprietary information or customer data, time card fraud, increased premiums for worker’s compensation insurance, decreased productivity, and critical functions or processes not operating correctly.
What I found quite interesting, and as pointed out, 87% of losses come from employees while only 5% of shrinkage are from shoplifting. Furthermore, 46% of employee theft occurs right at the checkout! “Internal inventory shrinkage, shoplifting, slip and fall lawsuits, employee inefficiency, employee violence, embezzlement, improper accounting, fraudulent returns, waste, and low productivity are responsible for more business loss than burglaries." Throughout the manual, Morawski explores these threats and shows how to deal with them in the most effective manner.
A section that may prove of immense interest and benefit to home-owners is the one devoted to residential properties where the manual examines smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, door contacts, glass break detectors, panic buttons, and motion detectors. As mentioned in this section, the important goal should be the ease of use and if the system is too complicated or difficult to use, it will probably be never used.
My one gripe about this manual is its format and here is where a good editor would have come in handy. Instead of a long list of sections, the author should have divided his topics into distinct and unique chapters. This would have resulted in a more reader-friendly manual. There is also a tendency to crowd too much information into each page with margins that are not wide enough. The result was that I was over-whelmed with abundance of information that was at times difficult to navigate, and in addition, unpleasant to the eye. However, notwithstanding the less than perfect format, if you’re looking for an in depth manual pertaining to security authored by someone who knows what he is talking about, you won’t be disappointed as this one nicely fits the bill. It is quite clear that Morawski has done a great deal of research and dishes out an innumerable number of priceless tips that will reinforce the age old adage that it is better to be safe than sorry.
To read Norm's Interview With Ed Morawski CLICK HERE |
