How to keep PPE Protected During Transportation
What is BSI?
BSI (British Standards Institution) is a standards organization that was a founding member of the international standards organization and they were instrumental in propagating and issuing some of the most instrumental standards in the world. Recently they have become more involved in information security standards, environmental sustainability standards and they have also expanded into consulting. Tony Pelli works with BSI’s consulting arm helping companies achieve security and resilience in their supply chains and their day to day operations.
Who is Tony Pelli?
Tony Pelli is a practice director for security and resilience at BSI. Any consulting efforts related to security, business continuity, or emergency management are headed by Tony. He has been working for BSI for 8 years and he started by working intelligently for them such as in security risks and export controls.
What guidance is BSI providing to help with security and protecting PPE from theft while transporting?
One of the best pieces of advice for avoiding theft while transporting is to plan the route out in advance. You want the shortest start to stop that you can plan. Avoid stopping in the first and last legs of the journey and teach truckers to watch and be aware when people are following them. PPE in particular is very valuable right now because it’s black market value has skyrocketed. There are two types of robbers - opportunistic and organized. Opportunistic robbers just steal when they see an opening but organized robbers stake out the ports or distribution centers etc, and sometimes they even have inside information.
What are some procedures warehouses can use to help the trucker?
Warehouses can do pre-departure checks on the trucks. They can make sure trucks are properly fueled, have no mechanical issues and the drivers are good on hours so they are not forced to stop. Truckers should also leave their trucks alone for the shortest amount of time and if they do leave make sure it is locked and their door alarms are set.
How do you train drivers to help protect them from theft?
The best thing to do would be to remind them of tips right before their journey. Quick pointers and simple reminders are effective and helpful. Check the drivers know a number they can call if something along their journey does not seem right.
What type of technology is assisting against theft?
GPS tracking can help a lot and there are a few different ways it can do so. GPS can see if an unplanned stop happens or if a stop is taking longer than expected. GPS can also see if the route is off. In the case of pharmaceuticals the trailer is tracked for temperature or light and this can be a good indicator that the trailer has been opened or tampered with. Tracking can also be done through devices that are connected to the internet such as the driver's phone.
What are some more recommendations you can give?
Some more recommendations geared towards the drivers are if they do need to stop it should be planned on the route if at all possible so it is in a safe and well-lit space. Do not leave the keys in the vehicle and if they leave the vehicle lock the doors and close the windows. When returning to the truck after leaving drivers should give it a quick walk around to make sure the vehicle has not been tampered with.
What are some best practices for the arrival of the truck?
Drivers should check for tampering on the outside of the trailer. When unloading if there is a security seal make sure that it is intact. After unloading double-check that all the items that are supposed to be here are there. For now manual checks can still make a big difference.
What are some additional helpful resources?
BSI has guidance on its website called Screen which is a subscription service that has up to date information on the theft. Coronavirus related information is currently all free. TABO is a great resource, they produce standards for transportation security and it is very in-depth. You can also check out BSI’s website for more information.
How can you contact Tony Pelli?
You can find him on LinkedIn or contact him by email tony.pelli@bsi.com.
