Safety and Security Procedures during Events

The Event Security Officer (ESO) is responsible for many important tasks during the event to ensure security is well managed.

Responsibilities

The Knighthood ESO and Security team are responsible for:

• Coordinating with the event manager on communication, command, and control
• Adhering to health and safety regulations
• Offering security advice to attendees and venue employees, such as emergency procedures
• Displaying the security classification of topics to be discussed before the start of the event and before each protectively-marked segment

ID and Entry Control

Knighthood is responsible for:

• Issuing access and identity passes to accredited attendees, and verifying identities when necessary
• Restricting entry to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the building or event
• Overseeing security aspects related to visitor control.

Safety

Knighthood coordinates the protection of information used and produced at the event, from the moment it is received, to the moment it is stored. This includes:

• Utilizing secure containers
• Proper collection and disposal of waste.

Personnel Coordination

Knighthood will coordinate security procedures for cleaning and maintenance personnel; supervise physical security and storage of equipment (e.g. cameras, recording devices, audio-recording devices, and mobile phones); oversee personnel employed on security duties; and supervise any necessary searches to sanitize the premises.

Managing Event Accreditation

Event accreditation documents verify a person’s right to attend an event. Knighthood recommends that major events should have:

• A master list of participants, featuring photo identification, role information, contact details, etc.
• Accreditation passes featuring photo identification, dates of validity, participant category, and any restricted area access rights.
• A design and layout which can be visually checked by guards or event staff.

Accreditation passes should be comfortable for participants and worn at all times. When an event is sensitive and you need to avoid publicity, we recommend using a unique but unobtrusive identification article, such as a lapel pin or badge.

Controlling Access to Restricted Areas

We decide which event areas require restricted access—areas within the venue that only certain attendees, authorised officials, and security staff can access without an escort. We label restricted access areas and control access to them.

Protectively-Marked Information

Based on the event risk assessment, Knighthood may not allow attendees to bring any information marked with protective classification. If it is needed at the event, we recommend the following protective measures:

• Distributing the necessary number of copies at the start of the event or, if possible, the session that needs them.
• Numbering and recording each copy distributed for increased accountability.
• Arranging for attendees to leave all protectively-marked documents, including notes, at the end of the session or day. Sending the documents by safehand to each delegate after the event.

These measures may not be feasible depending on the situation. We recommend informing attendees early and, if necessary, reminding them during the event.

Protectively-marked Waste

Knighthood is responsible for ensuring there are sufficient facilities to collect and dispose of protectively-marked waste generated at the venue. An approved shredder or removal/destruction procedure must be used for certain protectively-marked information at the venue.

Security Containers

At times, it may be necessary to store protectively-marked information onsite during the event or between days if it runs more than one day. Knighthood will provide suitable security containers and control access to them.

Guards and Patrols

The event risk assessment should tell you whether you need guards and guard patrols during the event. If the event runs for more than one day, we recommend regular guard patrols when the venue is unattended.

Reporting Security Incidents

We recommend that event attendees report any security incidents to our security staff immediately, so they can be addressed quickly. Security staff will report to ESO as soon as possible after becoming aware of the incident. ESO follows the process outlined in Incident Reporting and Security Investigations.

Issuing Security and Emergency Instructions

Everyone attending or working at the event should be aware of security and emergency instructions. However, different instructions may be necessary for staff and participants. Our Security team will issue the instructions to attendees upon arrival.

Receiving Mail

We ensure the necessary requirements for receiving mail or goods delivered to an event are met, including scanning and handling suspicious items based on our assessment and customer requirements.

Controlling Demonstrations

The Police have ultimate responsibility for controlling demonstrations. If our event security risk assessment suggests demonstrators may be an issue, we seek police advice early to ensure they can respond or discuss other mitigation strategies, including deploying security guards. Knighthood is responsible for ensuring proper arrangements before the event begins.

Handling Media Attention

Media attention may be focused on the event due to publicity, VIP attendance, or the topic.

Creating a Media Plan

Our ESO will work with you when developing a media plan based on the risk assessment. This plan may include:

• Accreditation and passes for media representatives
• Designated room for media representatives at the venue
• Procedures for issuing media releases and statements
• Requirement for media representatives to report to the event security or reception area upon arrival

We recommend to our customers to:

• Carefully consider if and under what conditions media representatives should be allowed into the venue or event rooms during the event
• Ensure any media release follows your organization’s media liaison processes
• Ensure media access is in controlled conditions, with appropriate escort arrangements
• Take particular care to prevent unescorted access to any room that may contain protectively marked information (prevent access until the room has been checked).