News

At the end of the year, the UK will leave the EU. Nowhere will the country’s readiness be more apparent than at the borders, where trade policy, logistics, infrastructure and security will all be tested to the limits. In February 2019, we shared our concerns about the readiness of the UK’s ports after a failed £18m investment in Seaborne Freight sunk the plan to turn Ramsgate into a “second Dover”. Almost a year and a half later, is the UK […]

Thermal imaging cameras are flying off the shelves as companies buy into the promise that they can provide a rapid means of detecting people showing symptoms of COVID-19 without the need for physical contact. But do these devices live up to their claims? And if they do, are they enough to make workplaces safe? Thermal imaging has many uses – detecting COVID-19 isn’t one Thermal imaging cameras are a valuable tool used by firefighters, police and security companies such as […]

London has always enjoyed an exceptional quantity of parks and other outdoor spaces but they have become truly vital to the physical and mental health of Londoners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parks provide opportunities to socialise, exercise or simply enjoy some much needed sun and air while continuing to maintain social distancing. But this unprecedented usage has put strain on parks and has occasionally made social distancing impossible – as seen when Brockwell Park and Victoria Park were forced to […]

The hospitality sector has been amongst the hardest hit by the COVID-19 lockdown, with just 11% of businesses able to operate normally. With 99% of hospitality businesses classed as SMEs and 67% of people in the UK expecting it to be “months” before they will visit a restaurant again, there is tremendous uncertainty over how many businesses will survive the pandemic. It is vital for the future of the UK’s restaurants and pubs that a phased reopening happens as soon […]

Easyjet and Ryanair will soon be resuming a limited number domestic flights, with Easyjet also running a single flight to Nice, France. This limited reopening gives airports in the UK an opportunity to introduce and refine policies to ensure the safe travel for passengers and safe work for staff during the pandemic. Such measures must be robust and well-implemented before international travel resumes. Airports have already introduced enhanced cleaning procedures, additional hand sanitiser units, floor markings to control foot traffic […]

As many of us prepare to return to work during the pandemic, it is important to remember that effective social distancing does not require people to totally avoid interaction with others. The goal is to reduce interaction in the general population to such a point that COVID-19 no longer has enough hosts to survive. If everyone who contracts COVID-19 transmits it to – on average – less than one person, its spread will eventually peter out to manageable levels. This […]

Non-essential retailers will be able to begin a “phased reopening” from a provisional date of June 1st, according to the government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy document published on May 11th. Retailers will be expected to follow safety guidance to maintain the recommended 2m social distancing policy, along with other measures to reduce the potential spread of the virus amongst staff, customers and clients. How measures will be enforced has not been announced but the government has released detailed guidance to help […]

At Magenta Security, our operational staff are working from home where their roles allow it, while our security guards continue to protect people and places across the country. We are immensely proud of the entire Magenta Security team, especially those who put themselves at risk to keep others safe. For a company to successfully adapt to operating under lockdown conditions, it must first and foremost look after the wellbeing of their staff. Below, you will find advice that we have […]

Security Fears Heightened as Thousands of Businesses Remain Closed Thousands of businesses up and down the country remain closed and with no clear indication of when they might re-open criminals are taking advantage of vulnerable premises and finding new ways to conduct criminal activity. Whilst the media are reporting a decrease in shoplifting, serious assaults, and car crime during the lockdown, what they’re failing to report to the same extent is a nationwide increase in theft from unattended business premises. In […]

COVID-19 continues to challenge life for all of us, but I am on the whole proud of the way people are reacting, supporting each other and coming together as communities. One such community is the private security sector. It was an incredibly important moment when the BSIA and SIA came together to lobby and ensure that security guards are recognised as key workers. They have stood up for us as an industry at a time when it truly matters Though […]