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AS A COMPANY, WE WANTED TO BEGIN working to a system that would prove the contract security industry doesn't have to put itself out of business by being environmentally responsible. Many security companies currently operate some kind of environmental system, of course, but as a rule don't demonstrate the fact. We wanted to be demonstrative about what we're doing, and realise benefits for both ourselves and our clients by doing so. That's why we opted to be tested for ISO 14001 certification.

The international ISO 14001 standard requires two fundamentals from those companies opting to conduct their business in an environmentally-friendly manner. First, the development and maintenance of a documented environmental management system, much of which is identical (or at least very similar) to ISO 9001:2000 and, second, evidence of striving to make environmental improvements to the business so far as is reasonably practicable (in ways that will neither harm the business, nor negate the positive impacts made).

Mindsets needed to change
We began by setting up and documenting the necessary additional systems and procedures needed to satisfy the ISO 14001 requirements. It gradually became apparent that much of the existing ISO 9001:2000-based documented management system demanded changes to meet the terms of ISO 14001.

Among our employees and management alike, we initially discovered there was a vast learning curve to change the collective mindset in such a way that it would identify and then understand the broad range of environmental issues connected to the business.

With an open mind, a large number of environmental aspects were identified using a similar type of risk assessment process to that deployed for Health and Safety, but modified slightly for ease of categorisation and order of significance. We identified and described the foremost aspects for consideration, and recorded all the related impacts – working all the way down the list to the smallest ones.

The effect of motor vehicle use was deemed to be the most significant aspect, while the potential for recycling the plastic cups used with our drinking water dispensers was the least. White paper and recycling of office waste paper were found to be two different but closely connected aspects.

When viewed objectively, the diverse effects and implications – both in the short and longer terms – of using petrol and diesel-powered vehicles is quite horrifying. Not just environmentally, but in terms of the financial cost of fuel wastage as well as vehicle procurement costs and insurance, etc.

A security company's fossil-fuelled vehicle use may be quite small compared with, say, a heavy goods transportation business, but in relation to our own industry it's probably the most significant environmental aspect.

The detrimental impacts of burning fossil fuel do need to be listed – but try listing and then considering them in relation to your own business, your family, friends and the greater community. You might think it would be worth doing something about this, and why not if there are financial benefits to be gained? It's not cynical. It's common sense.

The environmental project
The company originally aimed to replace its mobile supervision, patrol and sales teams' vehicles with LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)-powered vehicles (the benefit of LPG being that it produces significantly lower levels of harmful emissions). It was felt the cost of 'installing' LPG may well be higher, but that this could be offset by savings made in vehicle engine size, improved vehicle use planning and shopping around for (and negotiating) the best deals.

The manned security industry needs to understand that there are sales opportunities available to those companies embarking on the route to achieving ISO 14001

Unfortunately, LPG was a problem for a number of reasons – the main ones not being financial, but rather more to do with worries over warranty issues and lack of availability of LPG fuel outlets to suit the company's needs. All-electric or dual-fuel vehicles were also considered, but at present are too expensive.

ISO 14001 doesn't expect major step changes, but small incremental ones where bigger, quicker changes would be financially prohibitive. The short-to-medium term target was to replace existing vehicles with smaller engine types that would attract the current range of available tax benefits while also being cheaper to procure and (subsequently) run.

To date, the vehicular portion of our environmental project hasn't yielded a measurable result as it's less than a year old. However, in the short term it is indeed showing a considerable reduction in fuel usage.

Magenta has also saved five trees in the past three months (based on the weight of office paper recycled as measured by the recycling firm, not by ourselves). Additionally, we recycle all of our printer cartridges with Tommy's Baby Charity (helping the charity raise funds for research, as well as helping the environment).

Further changes were made in all of our offices whereby electronic equipment was reviewed and those items found to produce unacceptably high levels of radiation replaced (eg computer monitors were swapped for flat screens, and standard printers for laser versions). Impacting on Health and Safety in a positive way, then.

Employee and customer reaction
All of our employees, whether office-based or 'out in the field', are told to consider the environment, and we have recorded many instances where a security operative has managed to divert an environmental disaster due to observational skills and swift reactions.

In addition, our customers have welcomed this approach to environmental issues as well as Health and Safety, and can readily see the commercial benefits of working with a security supplier that's committed to ISO 14001. In fact, we have been asked on more than one occasion to help clients attain this environmental management standard for themselves.

The manned security industry needs to understand that there are sales opportunities available to those companies embarking on the route to achieving ISO 14001. For example, many local authorities – among the biggest procurers of security services – are now insisting their service providers are at least in the process of achieving (or have already achieved) this standard. Some larger, worldwide organisations also request that their suppliers demonstrate the benchmark.

Just think what could be achieved nationwide if one environmentally-minded and forward-thinking security provider became hundreds of like-minded security companies.