The customer was a large mining company in the developmental stages of a project to mine large lithium borate minerals. The first step in the process was to acquire the land containing the deposit before construction could begin.

Many of the buildings the customer holds in the area are now vacant, as the former landowners have left the premises. These uninhabited buildings present a number of risks:

• Squatters - The most common problem these empty buildings presented was an opportunity for squatters to move in, which could cause some delays in the customer’s project.
• Theft - The customer also recognised these properties were at risk of theft due to the lack of security presence.
• Vandalism - In addition to the lack of security providing ample opportunity for theft, the empty buildings were an easy target for vandals.

The customer knew the project’s timeline could be negatively impacted by these challenges, so they partnered with G4S to immediately tighten up on security.

The Goals

For this particular customer, the timeliness of the construction project was a critical factor. This set forth a primary goal of maintaining the project’s timeline by eliminating any incidents with squatters, thieves, or vandals that could cause delays.

There was also the potential for illegal activities in these vacant properties to damage the customer’s reputation. As a well-known company in the mining industry, it was important for it to avoid negative publicity.

In order to accomplish the goals of maintaining the project’s timeline and protecting the customer’s reputation, the customer needed help to prevent intruders from gaining access to the abandoned buildings. This means the risks were in various concentrated areas around the customer’s sites, so it required the solution to focus heavily on high-risk areas as opposed to providing equal coverage sitewide.

The Solution

Prior to implementing any systems, G4S performed a risk assessment to identify the weak points at the customer’s sites. This analysis would reveal the areas of greatest risk, enabling security to be more heavily concentrated in these zones.

Ultimately, the integrated security solution involved an effective blending of manned security professionals with high-tech solutions. The security solution put in place included:

• Mobile Patrol and Response Teams - Highly trained security professionals patrolling high-risk areas and responding to threats. Response teams have access to G4S login for real-time incident reporting.
• Video Alarm Systems - An intrusion detection system was put in place at critical points within the customer’s sites. Video systems would detect movement in the protected areas and record 10-second clips, which would be sent back to the G4S Security Operations Centre (G4S SOC) for realtime verification.
• 24/7 SOC/ARC Support - There is full-time access to the G4S SOC for constant monitoring of video equipment.

Due to the comprehensive risk assessment, G4S was able to place video surveillance in the areas most likely to be at risk, which provided for a much more effective and cost-efficient solution.

The Results

The integrated security solution that G4S implemented was a major success. The customer’s project is still ongoing, and there have been no delays caused by security incidents at the vacant buildings. Property loss and security breaches have been completely eliminated. This particular customer is distinguished in its industry and had very high demands regarding the effectiveness
of the security setup. For G4S to meet these demands and successfully solve the customer’s security threats was a major accomplishment.

This project has turned out to be incredibly beneficial to G4S, as the company is now viewed as a reliable security partner in high-risk and sensitive projects. The results of the mining project have the potential to lead to references for future opportunities within the mining industry.