Nothing More Important Than Aviation And Transport Security By Tracey England

In the past 10 years, many of us have experienced the increase in airport security that has been introduced due to external threats to air travel both for leisure and commercial purposes. Passengers and employees are looking for peace of mind when they are travelling or working in this now hostile environment.

The department of transport and other regulatory bodies are constantly working to ensure the safety and security in these transport hubs, whether its airports, sea ports or railway stations. Regulations are now being put in place to ensure companies are working by set rules and guidelines to reduce the risk of threats to the public and employees.

Each year in the UK there are millions of passengers utilising air services, and demand is constantly increasing; the requirement for better security services is also intensified, creating more pressure on the regulatory bodies to ensure that all areas are covering protocol correctly, efficiently and strategically. Advances in technology are a constantly working on developments; hold baggage screening, CCTV monitoring, passenger profiling and the protection of aircraft, ships, and trains are all areas where continuous expansion and equipment are vital for the future running of the transport industry.

Creating a standardised approach to transport security has never been more important than in the current environment. Experience in the past few years of how gaps in security have caused major international implications has shown us where services need to be improved. Without this development, the same problems will continue to happen and put passengers and employees at risk to unresolved threats.

It's not only the passenger market that is affected by the constant threat surrounding the travel market as 95% of the UKs trade is handled through different types of port, security in varying environments differ to others whether it's airports, ports or rail terminals. With this we can understand the importance of using different security techniques in the appropriate situations.

One of the main technologies used in the security of any port is CCTV; it is important that only specific trusted members of personnel can access this level of surveillance. Control rooms, monitoring and alarms can be the key pieces of technology, however advanced or minimal they are, in tackling threats to the security of a port.

Another important step in security levels is understanding who everyone is; this can range from the passengers to the suppliers of the port. Using profiling and screening on anyone who has any interaction with ports is one of the most useful tools if anything goes wrong. With technological advances on identity checking, it is becoming easier to spot possible threats before they can become reality.