Security: Safety or Surveillance?

Security: Safety or Surveillance?

Security has taken a new dimension that, in some cases, has left common sense at the gates of hell. For instance some fleet managers want the “security” of the parts room to be a lock-up...other fleets want to have a parts person hand out all of the parts at the window.

Security has taken a new dimension that, in some cases, has left common sense at the gates of hell. For instance some fleet managers want the “security” of the parts room to be a lock-up and have the supervisor hand out all of the parts. Other fleets want to have a parts person hand out all of the parts at the window. In both of these cases, assistants may help, but the “security” of the parts is some times perceived as still being at risk. 
Obvious, making the supervisor or a parts person hand out all of the parts is not productive—especially if there is more than one shift, since additional staff needs to be on hand to distribute parts. So, this kind of security can have a huge cost. The cost of purchased parts should balance between repair orders and inventory for those parts, not on a repair order. If you buy $100 in parts, the $100 dollars has to balance between repair orders or inventory.
Some fleet managers want to use high tech methods of security, such as cameras, and I think that it is okay under some situations. But, employee interpretation of this type of scrutiny needs to be taken into consideration. If you think you have a problem with "shrink" or productivity then cameras are not necessarily the solution, direction from management to employees. It could be the perception that once you start putting cameras in the maintenance facilities that the issue will go away, I would consider on in your office as well.
Mounting cameras inside fleet facilities, in my opinion, is not security but" surveillance" and that leave a sour taste in their mouths.  I believe there is a place for surveillance, like Disneyland and banks, but not necessarily in the maintenance shop work place. 
Why do we want to do that, do we thing someone is stealing time, pencils, oil, antifreeze or nuts and bolts? If the choice comes to do that, then there must be a credible reason to do so. For example, my son owns a bar in which there are surveillance cameras as well as a cash register (visual and numerical) camera. Internet "surveillance " is probably needed since cash has a way of finding its way into someone’s pocket, and is not easily detected. (In a shop, $20 worth of nuts and bolts would be easy to spot as a bulge in someone’s pocket.”)
I know of a fleet where a new manager wants “security” in a place where people discard mounds of junk and trash wants to install security. In his opinion inside the all of the many building make sense because of all the conveyors and sorting equipment is good business. 
So the concept of surveillance cameras has drifted down to the shop level—a place where there has not been theft or unproductive employees, but it apparently seemed like the thing to do. Now as the story goes, that a longtime employee who was in an isolated building for years working by himself, needed to be moved to another building on the complex. No one ever went across the street to visit him, check up on him or his work. He was an artist of iron, a welder, who needed little or no supervision and had an artist of iron personality, very strong, supported by results and work quality. 
Now the new guy wants security cameras on the premise—everywhere except the office. So in a tour of the welder’s new work area they drop the bomb on him about the security camera. There was no explanation given as to why this was going to happen, so he perceives it as surveillance and a questioning his performance, credibility and integrity. As a result, he poses questions about the decision in his iron artist, independent semi-sarcastic way, “What @*#& are you looking for? When he did not receive an informative answer, the iron artist tells the new guy, have a nice day with your surveillance cameras, apparently it is unsafe to work by myself so secure another welder, I am done! 
I do not support either side because the company’s exertion of power ignored the importance of understanding people and their unique personalities. The employee understood that he could have expressed his feelings in a professional way, but in his mind, the company wanted to get rid of him. It was a reaction like that of most animals that may be backed into a corner, they strike back out of self-defense. The company lost a great artist of iron, who was really a toothless friendly dog, with a loud bark, that had been backed into a corner and felt the need to bite back. What’s missing now, both the surveillance camera and a welder.
For more information, visit www.darrystuart.com or email comments or questions requests to Darry at: [email protected]

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