About Bel Valves
Based in Newcastle, right next to the River Tyne, Bel Valves designs and manufactures high integrity valves, ranging in size from 1.25cm to over 140cm in diameter. The valves are used in the oil and gas sector to isolate or control the flow of material though undersea pipelines. The company, which has over 50 years of expertise, is internationally renowned for its innovative design and engineering.
The Story in Brief:
- Bel Valve’s 54,300m2 site comprises a warehouse, manufacturing facility and office block. Historically, site security was delivered via on-site monitoring of CCTV by a security guard, 24/7
- We installed a new, stateof-the-art CCTV system which is monitored remotely by officers at the Securitas Operations Centre (SOC)
- The CCTV and alarm monitoring is part of an integrated approach which includes regular nighttime patrols by our mobile security team, key holding and locking/unlocking services
- This new solution has reduced Bel Valves’ monthly security overhead by approximately 80%.
A Comprehensive Security Solution
With Bel Valves’ reputation for innovative, solutionled design firsts and the competitive nature of the oil and gas sector, you might think that its site in Newcastle upon Tyne would need protection from the risk of industrial espionage. The truth however is that the real security risks are fairly standard, such as opportunistic vandals or intruders, fire or water damage.
The 54,300m 2 complex comprises a warehouse, manufacturing facility and office block. For over twenty years, security had been provided by manned guarding whose role was to monitor the CCTV and carry out inspection patrols for the 168 hours per week needed.
Looking for a more cost-effective approach that would improve security without necessitating the presence of a security guard permanently on site, Paul Humphreys, General Manager at Bel Valves, got in touch with us. “Securitas’ approach was so thorough – from the site survey, solution design and cost proposal – that we were confident that they were the right provider for our needs,” he says.
On-Site Survey and Risk Assessment
The site survey is a key component of the risk analysis that we carry out when assessing security solutions for any site. In this instance, the survey established that the existing CCTV cameras were outdated and the coverage they provided was patchy, creating several blind spots around the site.
We proposed a technology-led solution, based on our Remote Video Solution (RVS). This entailed installing a new digital CCTV system which incorporates infrared and thermal sensors that trigger an alarm in the event of suspicious activity. The system is remotely monitored by specially trained security officers at the Securitas Operations Centre (SOC).
When an alarm is triggered, the officers check the camera footage to see what is happening in real time. If required, they can issue an audio warning via the system or direct a mobile patrol to the scene to investigate further. This end-to-end solution is supplied on a three-year lease contract; during that time, we are responsible for onsite installation and maintenance of the security equipment. At the end of the term, Bel Valves will own it outright.
As part of the contract, our mobile security team make regular nighttime patrols and we also provide keyholding and locking/unlocking services. This integrated approach ensures that when a security presence is needed on site, it’s there, but Bel Valves no longer have the expense of man guarding around the clock. “Our challenge to Securitas was to improve security without having people on site full time,” confirms Humphreys, “but we’ve been pleasantly surprised by just how much more we are getting in terms of technology and services – and for less than a fifth of the cost of our previous monthly security overhead.”
