CI Personal Safety and Security Handbook

206 Pages·2014·5.89 MB·English

care international
Personal safety
& security Handbook
Written by Shaun Bickley. CARE International 2014.
©
For more information see About the Author on pii.
PERSONAL SAFETY & SECURITY HANDBOOK
foreWord
The decline in inter-state and intra-state warfare in recent years has
coincided with a marked increase in attacks on humanitarian aid workers.
In 2011, 308 aid workers were killed, kidnapped or wounded – the highest
number yet recorded.1 Over 70 percent of attacks on aid workers occurred
in just 5 countries and CARE is active in each.
CARE will continue to work in dangerous locations around the globe in
pursuit of our mission to combat social injustice and global poverty,
but we must fnd ways of doing so without endangering our most
precious resource, our staff. We cannot eliminate risk but we can manage
it proactively. Good programming implies good safety and security just
as good safety and security is an essential part of good programming.
CARE’s safety and security philosophy is based on gaining and
maintaining community ‘acceptance’, which implies a need to ensure
effective relationships with all stakeholders in our areas of operations.
This is not always easy; it does not work everywhere or all the time and
requires constant attention and effort. For this reason it is also essential
to incorporate protective measures into our safety and security strategy
and operations.
This new CARE International Personal Safety & Security Handbook differs
somewhat from previous versions in it’s particular focus on personal
security. It includes a collection of best practice and guidance to support
staff in the feld, intended as a practical, handy pocket-guide to help
staff address the challenges they face.
I hope you take the time to review and utilise the information in the
Handbook. The frst step in establishing a sound safety and security
culture in CARE is for each of us to take personal responsibility to help
build this culture. Given the increasingly challenging environments in
which we operate, we owe this to ourselves, our colleagues, and to
those whom we serve through our life-saving work.
dr. robert Glasser, care international secretary General
1 Aid Worker Security Report (2011), Humanitarian Outcomes.
i
PERSONAL SAFETY & SECURITY HANDBOOK
acknoWledGeMents
CARE frst published a Safety & Security Handbook, written by Robert
Macpherson and Bennett Pafford, in 2001, which was revised in 2004. This new
handbook has been written to refect emerging safety and security challenges
in the feld, and developments in CARE’s approach to minimising risks to staff.
Material for this handbook has been inspired by and drawn from a range of
sources, including the staff security and safety guidance produced by Save the
Children, International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), World Vision International
and the United Nations, and public documents produced by national governments.
This handbook is a resource and a tribute to our staff in the feld and it would
never have been possible without the dedication and commitment of a handful
of people. The project management from start to fnish by Hilde van der Molen
is the chief reason why this handbook has been completed. The Safety and
Security Management Working Group provided the expertise and knowledge
to base the handbook in reality, thank you for your input. To all those at all
levels who took the time to review the various drafts, I hope we have done
your comments justice. Last but certainly not least, my gratitude goes to
Shaun Bickley who has done an excellent job in authoring this handbook and
capturing our thoughts in a digestible, relevant form.
barry steyn, director care international safety and security unit
about tHe autHor
Shaun Bickley has extensive feld experience managing humanitarian relief
programmes in confict-prone areas including Afghanistan, Chechnya,
Liberia, Pakistan and Sudan. He now works as an independent consultant
and trainer to international humanitarian and development organisations,
advising on staff security and safety issues, strengthening organisational
risk management provision, developing guidance and training materials,
and providing training to staff.
ii
PERSONAL SAFETY & SECURITY HANDBOOK
HoW to use tHis Handbook
CARE International’s Personal Safety & Security Handbook has been
developed to provide practical personal safety and security advice and
guidance to all staff working in CARE offces and feld sites throughout
the world.
Each section has a detailed list of contents at the beginning and cut-out
tabs to allow fast access to topics. Symbols and easy referencing are
used throughout the handbook to help you fnd what you need quickly.
A key learning point. A specifc CARE policy related
to the issue.
A section and/or page where you will fnd further information on 2.0
the topic. p103
Additional information on the topic. i
iii
PERSONAL SAFETY & SECURITY HANDBOOK | HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK
The handbook provides general advice and guidance applicable to most
situations. However, many of the issues covered in this handbook will
be addressed in more detail in the Country Offce / Field Offce Safety
and Security Management Plans (SSMP) which are tailored specifcally
to your location and the threats that exist. You must always consult
the Country Offce / Field Offce SSMP and /or your CARE Member travel
guidelines and other relevant policy and procedural documentation
(e.g. Staff Human Resources Manuals). If you are not sure which safety
and security threats exist in your specifc location you must discuss
this as part of your safety and security orientation / briefng.
No handbook can provide all the answers on how to respond when
faced with insecurity or risks to your health and safety. When using this
handbook, common sense and good judgement will always be required.
Additional Safety and Security documents and resources are also
available online on the CISSU resource web page. Please contact
PERSONAL SAFETY & SECURITY HANDBOOK
contents at a Glance
1. Personal safety & security 1
Practical guidance on personal safety and security issues including
responsibilities, awareness and behaviour, health and wellness, travel
and feld movements, facilities and site security, feld communications,
information management, working in confict-affected areas, staff
withdrawal and crisis situations.
2. tHreat Guides 103
Specifc guidance on a range of safety and security threats. Each guide
provides an overview of the threat, and gives a checklist of the essential
dos and don’ts to avoid or respond to incidents or situations.
3. resources, cHecklists & forMs 171
Quick access to additional resources, and critical checklists and
formats that CARE uses to manage safety and security risks to staff.
disclaiMer 191
v
Practical guidance on personal safety and security issues
including responsibilities, awareness and behaviour,
health and wellness, travel and feld movements,
facilities and site security, feld communications,
information management, working in confict-affected
1 areas, staff withdrawal and crisis situations.
care international’s aPProacH
to staff safety & security 3
aWareness & beHaViour 8
HealtH & Wellness 19
traVel & MoVeMents 32
facilities & site security 58
field coMMunications 73
ManaGinG inforMation 82
WorkinG in conflict-affected areas 91
sPecial security situations 97
Personal safety & security