Biffa Waste Management

The major risk challenges across our society and the security sector are well documented, heightened by a growing cost of labour and violence against colleagues at record levels.

These challenges subject corporations to greater living, operating and liability risks, conducted against a backdrop of decreased police support in the commercial world and increased reliance on the private security industry.

ASEL’s integrated electronic solutions and security guarding offering bridge the gap between the two through the provision of risk based integrated security solutions, deployed through our unique ASEL Risk Modelling methodology (ARM).

Our products combine to provide a best return on investment made by our client base, with us sharing strategic best practice wherever possible, reducing risks and costs wherever possible

BIFFA has over 100 years of heritage and is the UK’s second largest waste management company, headquartered in High Wycombe, with over 9,000 employees and c.2,900 collection vehicles. It provides collection, landfill, recycling, and special waste services and engineering to local authorities and to industrial and commercial clients in the United Kingdom.
BIFFA needed a security system that could deliver additional analytic capability and their strategic vision was for the cost-efficient protection of customers, colleagues, and assets.

The solution

Using the four elements of our risk-based analysis, ASEL delivered a flexible model for BIFFA, incorporating both manned and mobile guarding, together with ad-hoc Fire Watch duties, and mobile key holder functions.

In addition, we have begun to provide CCTV coverage for several depots, one of which has already been approved for installation.

• Static officers are trained appropriately to support the risk of the location and can utilise technology to provide effective security coverage.
• Roaming guards are trained for deployment across multiple strategic locations and have a greater understanding and experience of risk management.
• As keyholders, ASEL open and close business premises and, in the event of an intruder alarm activation, rapidly dispatch a guard to investigate, patrol the area and check for any signs of damage or intrusion.

Amberstone Delivered

• Smartwatches have been approved for lone workers across the Amberstone Security sites, providing critical support technology.
• Ad-hoc Fire Watch services are in place for when onsite Fire System is down, with Amberstone Security providing an officer for Fire Watch duties until the system is back up.
• Amberstone Security provides mobile Key Holder duties at Biffa’s Head Office in Cressex, unlocking and locking up of the premises and attending site when requested out of hours to conduct security patrols.

The result

ASEL delivered improved customer and employee safety, better use of security resources, reduction in shrink and access to enhanced analytical capabilities.

• ASEL mobilised 11 sites across the UK in June 2022, with 22 officers directly employed.
• A new site in Sheffield has been awarded and will mobilise in September 2022.
• CCTV has been approved for installation at BIFFA’s Gateshead depot.

“Biffa started our journey with Amberstone Security in early 2022. We were impressed with their approach to our security guarding requirements, understanding our specific risks and then creating a comprehensive cost-effective solution to tackle these. The transfer of services to Amberstone Security was simple and straight forward and they ensured a hassle-free change, with those people involved in the transfer commenting on the efficiency and the additional benefits of working with Amberstone Security. We now partner with Amberstone Security in other loss and risk areas, such as electronic security, to maximise our value and risk mitigation and work with them to find more cost savings or enhanced risk reduction.”

Derrick Hidden – Head of Facilities