Arson Prevention Strategy | Part One – Security and Surveillance

In the United Kingdom, arson is a major cause of fires in buildings of all kinds. At its worst, arson leads to loss of life and significant financial damage, but persistent and minor arson can also have a detrimental effect on the economic wellbeing of your business and the community.

In the past, arson prevention was solely down to the current building occupier to manage through implemented procedures, along with their fire safety and security plans. This article will discuss those activities which can assist in reducing the chances of arson within your premises.

In addition to procedural measures, in recent years, designers are recognising the importance of incorporating 'arson hostile' features into a building as part of the fire safety plan. This method of 'prevention by design' will be covered in the second part of this short series.

Protection against arson generally involves three main systems:

Security systems

Automatic fire detection & fire-fighting installations

Fire safety management procedures

Your own approach to developing a strategy to combat arson will rely on many factors; the nature & size of the business, the type and location of the premises to be protected and the number and distribution of staff.  In order for your strategy to succeed, it is essential that all these elements are taken into account.   

The emphasis given to each of the elements should be determined by an arson-orientated risk assessment. Whatever the outcome, the physical precautions finally implemented for the premises should accomplish one, or more, of the following tasks;

• Deter all but the most determined of intruders
• The attack takes as long as possible to commit
• The criminal will be required to use their own tools
• The attack will attract attention
• The intruder will be observed

Security Systems - Security is perhaps the most basic and essential contributory factor in your arson prevention strategy. However, in order for security measures to be considered effective, the system must be adequate for the nature of your business, any perceived threat and the type of premises. A 'one size fits all' solution does not apply in any area of fire risk reduction.

Balancing risk factors against the potential losses is a sensible approach to assess the 'weighting' of security implementation. It would, for instance, be inappropriate to install extensive perimeter protection & access control to a building, if the likelihood of arson from within the establishment, e.g. a member of staff, far exceeded that of an attack from an external source!

The following should be considered when attempting to decide upon the right precautionary measures;

Target Removal: The total removal of an area or department of a business, which may particularly attract the attention of an arsonist, is usually not a viable business option. However, its repositioning to an upper floor or more secure area of your site may be easier to accomplish and would present problems to a potential arsonist.

Target Inaccessibility: This is usually the first line of defence and manifests itself in the form of perimeter protection of your site. A fence, or wall, is the first physical obstacle against the arsonist and should be constructed to appear formidable and act as a psychological, as well as a physical, barrier. The following points should be borne in mind:

- Walls should be at least 2.4m high and constructed such that 'toe-holds' are not provided.

- The height should be maintained throughout the length of the barrier, irrespective of undulating ground levels.

- Gates or doors contained within should be identical height and 'topped' without any significant gaps at ground or  vertical edges.

- The use of drainpipes as a climbing aid should be prevented either by removal, or by the use of fixed spiked  collars.

In circumstances where the public are in close proximity to the building, the use of a perimeter fence, as opposed to a wall, may be more suitable, as it does not screen activities occurring within the confines of the building from passers-by.

For higher risk sites, the provision of two parallel fences, placed several metres apart and containing a lighted zone between, could be considered.

Surveillance - The use of an intruder alarm system is the best method of monitoring the presence of unauthorised personnel outside of normal working hours. Methods of detection vary according to individual requirements, but any system installation should comply with BS EN 50131-1:2006+A1:2009 Alarm systems. Intrusion and hold-up systems. System requirements.

The effective use of lighting can be considered a particularly cost-effective deterrent to arson and other crimes. However, poorly designed, installed or maintained lighting may serve to illuminate an intruder's way, or form shadows within which to hide or operate undisturbed. 

The design of the system is therefore of primary consideration when working as a deterrent to arsonists. The illumination of open spaces, e.g. car parks, may attract the attention of groups using the area for ball games and cycling/skateboarding type activities. As a consequence, the potential for vandalism, and ultimately arson, increases considerably.

For economic reasons, it makes sense to utilise local street lighting within the overall design of your system. However, the use of spotlighting may be beneficial in highlighting vulnerable areas.

Part two of this series will look at preventing entry to arsonists and fire detection and protection systems.

Complete Fire Safety Management is the only fully comprehensive online fire risk assessment, fire safety training and fire procedures system available to individual or multi-site businesses. If you would like more information, please contact Peter Gyere on 020 8668 866.