Steel fencing manufacturer Zaun Limited is increasing its efforts to educate security consultants, specifiers and architects in the latest technologies available to design into buildings, venues and public spaces to protect the public.
In just four months, experts from Zaun will be delivering both Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Security Institute approved Continual Professional Development (CPD) workshops from London to the North East to half a dozen different audiences, culminating in early December at the International Security Expo at Kensington Olympia.
Zaun director and co-founder Alastair Henman has long argued that the security industry requires greater conformity, rigour and collaboration among independent testing and accreditation bodies – and that any penetration tests accurately vet systems in real life scenarios.
It favours the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) Red Book and its SR security ratings to LPS 1175, which many specifiers are rightly now insisting upon.
But Zaun also gains product approvals with the likes of Secured by Design (SBD), the Perimeter Security Suppliers’ Association (PSSA), PAS 68 and IWA 14 and, of course, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI).
Henman says: “So we’re now intent on propagating this message to specifiers, designers, security consultants, architects and anyone involved in determining the security that will protect their staff, customers and the public for years to come.”
The sessions are designed for security professionals who are determined to keep their learning going throughout their careers and upgrading their knowledge with the latest thinking on security – and operate on the classic CPD points system.
The topics fit under the general theme of protecting business or organisational assets using technology and span from perimeter protection and detection and information on the SR Security Ratings and SBD and CPNI standards.
A growing area is education in Hostile Vehicle Mitigation measures in response to the alarming trend for terrorists to use the vehicle as a weapon to target unsuspecting and innocent members of the public.
Two years ago, Zaun joined the RIBA CPD Providers Network, which consists of over 500 manufacturers and suppliers who provide RIBA-approved CPD to architects and other specifiers.
In an Architects Journal survey of the top 120 architectural practices, 84% said they use RIBA-approved CPD and 66% of respondents had attended a face-to-face seminar with a RIBA CPD Providers Network member.
The network partners deliver free RIBA-assessed CPD face-to-face in architects’ practices or on factory tours, at RIBA CPD roadshows or online.
CPD is mandatory for RIBA Chartered Architects, and having RIBA approved CPD material available as seminar presentations, articles, videos, factory tours and in other formats is a good way to open doors to start building key relationships.
Approved seminars are worth double points to RIBA Chartered Architects.
Zaun must keep the seminar material up-to-date and advise RIBA when it changes any content to conform to current legislation, guidelines or user needs.
The RIBA promotes the material on its architecture.com website, through its assessed material list and via monthly CPD Showcase e-marketing campaigns.