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C-PTAT Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism – A brief how-to method.
The Department of Homeland Security in a genuine effort to secure United States borders and the subsequently the homeland against terrorism require that importers ensure the safety and integrity of their shipments. In the Canadian context this can be viewed as an advantage due to proximity to the marketplace and a similar culture. To capitalize on this opportunity exporters must certify their facilities to a standard acceptable to the Border Agency. The standards include among other things ensuring the integrity of the facilities by controlling access by physical means and through audit controls. Physically it means that access doors to warehouses and manufacturing remain locked at all times and as a control that visitor and employees are badged. Visitor badges can be color coded and categorized giving staff instant recognition of the status of non-employees. There are a number of methods available for tracking of legitimate personnel. Traffic flow is an important consideration and employees should be required to enter and exit the facility through designated doors. Card Access systems are a valuable tool in access control and serves a valuable Health and Safety function by keeping track of workers. In case of an emergency the on-line log can immediately determine who is present and who has left the facility.
Some obstacles that must be worked through and Perfect Defence Inc. cooperating with other security companies have successfully implemented systems to create a C-PTAT compliant facility.
Culture and habit are determining factors in human actions and those must be carefully considered prior to initiating C-PTAT. Exit doors must remain locked. However in the summer months workers always prop doors open to get ventilation and relief from the heat. The workers will not take kindly to commands to leave doors shut and will likely rebel. The answer though is quite simple and involves fitting a Ventilated Security Exit Door. These doors are fitted immediately in front of the exit door and mimic the action of the outer doors but are constructed primarily of steel mesh which provides ventilation at the same time fulfilling C-PTAT requirements by locking shut.
Truck drivers and couriers are frequent visitors and it is impractical to badge those workers. Instead consideration should be given to creation of a quarantine area which allows them into the facility but prevents their free access beyond a designated area. This can be easily accomplished by building an inner mesh partition area with an entrance door fitted with a closer, electric strike and emergency push bar on the inside.
Overhead doors, just as emergency doors are often left open for ventilation and C-PTAT compliance precludes that behavior. The simple solution is fit locking scissors gates across the inside of the doors.
These methods and procedures in addition to being C-PTAT compliant also makes the facility more secure from thievery and pilferage and protects the workers fulfilling Health and Safety requirement.
