‘Don’t let risk management become crisis management’

WITH A 50% industry-wide increase in truck hijackings in 2007, risk management still seems to weigh in well down the list of priorities for most firms. “Risk management becomes crisis management for most businesses when they get hit,” says Andre Du Venage of G4SSCH. “They catch a wake up, sort out their systems, but let it slip and then a few months later they get hit again. And so the cycle continues.” While most businesses are risk averse, these same companies appear even more risk management averse, exposing themselves to the mounting scourge of hijackings and theft on SA’s roads. “We offer real-time vehicle tracking and monitoring, so we know where and when a vehicle deviates from its intended route or destination, like in a hijacking situation,” says Du Venage. G4S acquired Special Cargo Handling in June last year, adding more muscle to its cargo escorts and warehouse monitoring portfolio. “Even in the warehouses, there needs to be security personnel to oversee the handling and loading process. We are light years away from effective CCTV utilisation,” adds Du Venage. But even this is not infallible, with full faith in the staff and monitoring teams needed. “We do polygraph tests to ensure the current and future vulnerability of the client’s cargo is sound and secure,” said Du Venage.