Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok - Health, Life and Safety / Security
Stafford International LLP, Singapore has been assigned by contact to review security structures within the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok (the Hotel); contract signed 14/12/15. A scope of works was included in that contract.
The main driving forces for the assignment was firstly the devastating act of terrorism at the Erawan Shrine next to the hotel (17 August 2015) and the appointment of a new Director of Security (DOS) to the hotel (4/1/16). The Consultant’s main focus was to review the existing standards relating to emergency management, security management and operations, emergency response procedures, existing security hardware and crisis management. In addition to this, he was to help assimilate the newly appoint DOS into his new role at the hotel.
The brief is broken down into fifteen segments and is a thorough review of the hotel’s security and in particular its challenges with access control and its ability to respond to emergencies. One of the major benefits in these external reviews is that it allows the hotel to mitigate the risk of expensive litigation, expensive legal fees and serious loss of reputation to the international brand. It is very important that staff know what to do in the initial stages of an emergency and their actions could very well prevent an emergency becoming a crisis. To achieve high standards of response, the hotel needs to identify those occurrences that constitute an emergency, put into place plans to respond to it, test those plans by having simulated exercises and table top exercises (TTXs) and have them audited by competent security risk consultants. This report attempts to do that.
A summary of what the hotel needs to do to bring security up to a professional level is:
Security management to identify security vulnerabilities and risks.
Give the Security Department more adequate working space with visual contact.
Put into place a Risk Management Committee to supersede all other safety and security related committee.
Put together an Emergency Response Manual ASAP.
Source a safe haven for guests and staff in the event of a catastrophic event where people can’t
exit the building for whatever reason.
Develop a lockdown plan to mitigate the risk of political rioting.
Develop security threat levels and take the hotel to a red code security level for a partial lockdown
Get the public address integrated ASAP and consider off site capability.
Have the two most senior security management undergo counterterrorism searching techniques training and then train the security staff.
Secure the multitude of issues relating to access control in and out of the hotel.
Install a Security Management System.
Undertake a more effective visitors management program.
Hotel to network more with security professionals that specialise in up-to-date intelligence.
Plan for having a single security checkpoint for searching vehicles, people & luggage.
Set up a Crisis Management Team and a Crisis and Command Centre.
Undertake TTXs and simulated exercises, particularly for the ERT.
Introduce the MBWA principle for security staff.
Upgrade the Video Surveillance System.
Introduce EWS (early warning systems) into the hotel, particularly the main server room and critical infrastructure.
Seriously think about introducing a BAS (Building Automation System).
Instigate a revision of security documentation and administration.
Arrange for Security to have a training and orientation program.
Develop further the ‘eyes and ears’ concept.
Explain Duty of Care and Vicarious Liability.
Off site Crisis Control and Command Centre
