Securitas SHARE: Sustainability Report 2016 | Page 10

Securitas’ responsibilities Our Core Business Contributes to a More Sustainable Society Securitas’ core business is security. By providing safety to the communities where we operate, we contribute to a more sustainable society. We lead by example and aim to conduct all aspects of our operations in a r ­ esponsible way. Safety and stability are key in a well-functioning community. ­Securitas’ role is to help companies, infrastructure and government authorities to operate the way they are intended, without inter- ruptions. The protection of workplaces, public areas and properties plays an important part in how we contribute to a safer and more sustainable society. As one of few global security companies with the track record, expertise and capacity to protect core functions of society, ­Securitas’ responsibility is of even greater importance in times of uncertainty and insecurity. Securitas is the knowledge leader in security, specialized in protective services built on technol- ogy, people and knowledge. Our reputation is strong; living up to our customers’ and other stake- holders’ expectations is our number one priority. For ­Securitas, this means delivering high-perfor- mance security while making sure our business and operations are sustainable. Our people – the core of S ­ ecuritas We employ more than 335 000 people around the world, distributed across 53 countries. Attracting, retaining and continuously developing our people is therefore key to ensuring that S ­ ecuritas is able to fulfill our customer commitments. Employees who remain with the company longer become more qualified through training and experience, and are a vital part of realizing our strategy to offer protective security through our security solutions. To secure our position as one of the leading global security companies, we must continue to train and develop our employees at all levels. This is achieved through continuous development of processes for recruit- ment, onboarding and talent management. As part of our aim to offer predictive security solutions, ­Securitas values good relations with unions and their representatives, based on open dialog. We have a global contract with UNI Global Union (UNI) and the Swedish Transport Workers’ 10 Securitas Sustainability Report 2016 Association, and the European Workers’ Council (EWC) in our European division. ­Securitas meets UNI and the EWC regularly, actively discussing many key issues concerning our employees. Our engage- ment with unions ultimately strengthens the devel- opment of the industry. In countries where Securitas does not have collective bargaining agreements or union r ­ epresentation, we encourage other ways of maintaining open dialog with our employees. Health and safety Health and safety work are vital to our operations and often form part of the services we offer our customers. Our security officers are trained not only to protect their own health and safety, but also to help others while on assignment, for example, by performing first-aid and CPR. Health and safety aspects can vary depending on the assignment, and customer sites are therefore assessed from a health and safety perspective. The security officers deployed receive training, instructions and equip- ment in line with the assignment. Many countries of operation are OHSAS 18001 certified, but we also work actively with occupational health and safety issues in countries that are not certified. A frequent question concerns the health and safety aspects associated with the risk that our security officers may be exposed to violence in the line of duty. Since the risk of violence is an inevita- ble occupational hazard in the security industry, Securitas makes extensive efforts to secure the health and safety of both our officers and the indi- viduals they must, from time to time, act against. The use of violence is not permitted. If threatening situations occur, our officers are instructed to avoid confrontation and await the arrival of the police. The vast majority of our security officers do not carry weapons. Those who do have undergone specialist training and licensing requirements, and are usually placed in special assignments.