As the events safety and security division of G4S, our business was all about ensuring secure and enjoyable events of all kinds, sporting, music festivals, corporate conferences, trade shows etc. But put simply, no physical events meant no business.
A Celebration of G4S' work to create secure environments during the fight against the pandemic
Overnight on 16 March 2020, we faced the potential loss of over 90 percent of our business as the impact of COVID-19 hit. The ramifications for 1,000s of our employees and their families, in addition to our customers, partners and suppliers would be devastating.
We had to explore new opportunities to diversify, using the transferable skills in our workforce. Where were the crowds needing control now? Where were the large groups of people requiring safe secure direction?
Other than essential workers, the people who were allowed to venture from their homes, were those visiting Test and Trace centres, NHS Nightingale hospitals and latterly, Quarantine Hotels. If those were the places where groups of people were now convening, those were the places where we needed to be, providing safe, secure environments for staff and visitors.
From an initial position of fearing the loss of the majority of our workforce, we successfully deployed over 3,400 staff and covered over 300,000 shifts to NHS Nightingale Hospitals, Test and Trace Services, Quarantine Hotel projects and overseen the delivery of some of the largest vaccination centres across the UK.
As an example, as the vaccine was first introduced we provided safe passage to over 5,000 members of the public in one day at the Scottish Exhibition Centre.
Most importantly, our teams were proud to have been in the position to put their skills to great use and support the NHS when they needed us most.
Coronavirus did not give us the luxury of time. With new data being produced daily revealing the shocking scale and transmission of the disease, the government had to act quickly and we needed to keep pace.
We were able to draw on our vast experience in this sector, to speedily, effectively and safely set up sites to help keep the population safe from the C-19 virus.
Most sites were testing on the same day they were created and able to get results back within the required time slot of 24 hours.
Our team supplied security, traffic management and Covid Marshalls to regional drive-in test centres, local walk-in test centres and mobile testing centres used for mass testing at C-19 breakout sites such as factories, care homes and other business locations.
At its peak we supported the delivery of over 200,000 tests each day and 175,000 vaccinations at NHS Louisa Jordan - the temporary emergency critical care hospital created to deal with the pandemic in Scotland.
We set up touch-free access & egress, social distancing enforcement and security fencing. We initially deployed and secured the operation within 24 hours.
We also produced a series of free vlog information videos to share our learning across social media with tips and preparation that event organisers (and individuals) could follow to prepare for a safe return to live events.
Implemented at the start of the building of three Nightingale hospitals, this also included correct access credentials and zonal access authorisation. In addition, we set and controlled capacity levels to make sure social distancing could be met plus a track and trace system around the site to minimise virus transmission.
On a personal and professional level, staff were incredibly proud to support the national effort and were keen to play their part as they collaborated with partners, competitors, the NHS and the armed forces.
We were so proud when many of our staff participated in a fundraising initiative where they procured a commemorative badge, which recognised the close working relationship between our staff and the NHS through the pandemic. This raised over £3,000 for the Cavell’s Trust - a charity that supports nurses who have fallen upon hard times.
We had to explore new opportunities to diversify, using the transferable skills in our workforce. Where were the crowds needing control now? Where were the large groups of people requiring safe secure direction?
Other than essential workers, the people who were allowed to venture from their homes, were those visiting Test and Trace centres, NHS Nightingale hospitals and latterly, Quarantine Hotels. If those were the places where groups of people were now convening, those were the places where we needed to be, providing safe, secure environments for staff and visitors.
From an initial position of fearing the loss of the majority of our workforce, we successfully deployed over 3,400 staff and covered over 300,000 shifts to NHS Nightingale Hospitals, Test and Trace Services, Quarantine Hotel projects and overseen the delivery of some of the largest vaccination centres across the UK.
As an example, as the vaccine was first introduced we provided safe passage to over 5,000 members of the public in one day at the Scottish Exhibition Centre.
Most importantly, our teams were proud to have been in the position to put their skills to great use and support the NHS when they needed us most.
A Swift and Decisive Response
Previously, our core work would have involved months of meticulous planning, working towards a fixed date in the future when our services would go live.Coronavirus did not give us the luxury of time. With new data being produced daily revealing the shocking scale and transmission of the disease, the government had to act quickly and we needed to keep pace.
We were able to draw on our vast experience in this sector, to speedily, effectively and safely set up sites to help keep the population safe from the C-19 virus.
Covid Ambassadors
We created a Testing Station Mobilising team to set up and staff 175 testing sites across the UK in 12 months. With the fast-changing pace of events and rapid spread of the disease, we were often given just 12-24 hours notice.Most sites were testing on the same day they were created and able to get results back within the required time slot of 24 hours.
Our team supplied security, traffic management and Covid Marshalls to regional drive-in test centres, local walk-in test centres and mobile testing centres used for mass testing at C-19 breakout sites such as factories, care homes and other business locations.
At its peak we supported the delivery of over 200,000 tests each day and 175,000 vaccinations at NHS Louisa Jordan - the temporary emergency critical care hospital created to deal with the pandemic in Scotland.
We set up touch-free access & egress, social distancing enforcement and security fencing. We initially deployed and secured the operation within 24 hours.
We also produced a series of free vlog information videos to share our learning across social media with tips and preparation that event organisers (and individuals) could follow to prepare for a safe return to live events.
Access Accreditation System
We used our specialised security knowledge to mobilise and carry out access & movement control for all hospital personnel, such as frontline medical, administrative and contractor staff.Implemented at the start of the building of three Nightingale hospitals, this also included correct access credentials and zonal access authorisation. In addition, we set and controlled capacity levels to make sure social distancing could be met plus a track and trace system around the site to minimise virus transmission.
On a personal and professional level, staff were incredibly proud to support the national effort and were keen to play their part as they collaborated with partners, competitors, the NHS and the armed forces.
We were so proud when many of our staff participated in a fundraising initiative where they procured a commemorative badge, which recognised the close working relationship between our staff and the NHS through the pandemic. This raised over £3,000 for the Cavell’s Trust - a charity that supports nurses who have fallen upon hard times.