Let’s talk about a critical intersection in the world of security; the combination of physical security and brand reputation. On January 9th 2022, a woman was killed while pumping gas when a 65 year old man backed up his SUV into the gas pump. The pump exploded into flames. The woman who was standing beside it was burned to death.
This is a horrific and tragic situation that should never have happened. The gas station should have installed bollards to protect the physical pumps from being hit by a car.
There should be a federal law that all gas pumps are required to have bollards protecting them. However, there is no such law and so instead, when loss of life happens from such a preventable incident we are left to ask whether the franchise owner is partially responsible. Many will rightfully criticize the owner and the brand for allowing such blatant lack of security on the premises.
Again, this type of accident should never have happened and is could have been avoided with proper physical security controls in place . This should serve as a lesson to all companies and brands in America and beyond. Your company, your brand, your reputation depends greatly on foresight and diligence when it comes to protecting your users and customers. Don’t end up like this Royal Dutch Petroleum / Shell.
Stay ahead of the game. Have a look around your physical premises. Do you have and deploy the proper signage, rails, fences, and even bollards to protect people on site?
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