S 1.53 Video surveillance

Initiation responsibility: Management

Implementation responsibility: Planner

The safeguards used to protect the exterior of the building (see S 1.55 Perimeter protection) and access control can be supplemented by using video technology. Video surveillance systems, whether stand-alone or as an addition to other security technologies, are used to achieve the following protection objectives:

• deterrence

• monitoring of the façade of the building

• identification

• surveillance

• alarm function

• detection and localisation of threats

• damage prevention

• documentation and analysis of departures from proper procedures

When planning the use of video surveillance, care should be taken to ensure that it is consistently integrated into the protection concept as a whole. This applies especially where the surveillance terminals are located a long way from the area to be protected. There is little point in having video surveillance without mechanisms for evaluation and raising the alarm, except as a deterrent. The necessary central technological components must be set up in a suitable environment and protected.

The Data Privacy Officer and the staff council and works council must be involved in the planning and installation of a video surveillance system.

Additional controls:

• Is video surveillance consistently integrated into the protection concept?

• Is the video surveillance equipment checked at regular intervals to ensure that it is working properly?