A Q&A with Peter O’Loughlin, Senior Engineer at Chubb Security.
What is a typical day like for you at Westminster Abbey [pictured]?
Much like any other large site, after arriving at the Abbey I will check in with the Chief Beadle Stephen Meek and we discuss any planned events that might impact on our day. Westminster Abbey is one of the UK’s leading historical sites, but it is also important to remember that the Abbey is a working church with four services daily and a pause for prayer every hour. All tasks inside the Abbey have to be planned with this in mind. I will then check our system event logs for any unusual activity since my last visit. When handling the security needs of such a large and busy site, it is essential to be constantly alert to any changes to the environment.
How is your current day-to-day role impacted by the improvement works at Westminster? When there is an opportunity for a new install project – is that always via a tender or is it offered to Chubb?
Much of our work is driven by system additions and improvements to the existing infrastructure. The Abbey is made up of many buildings and so it is constantly evolving. Some projects require a quick turnaround while others are planned further in advance and may be subject to a planning review with the Clerk of Works and the Surveyor of the Fabrics Office. When I started with Chubb, the senior engineers always reminded me “you’re only as good as you last job” and so the challenge of meeting the highest standard for each and every installation is always there.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries opened last year in an area previously closed to the general public – how did you work with Westminster to update the security systems?
The South Area of the Triforium was developed to an extremely high standard by Daedalus Construction and all our devices were installed as agreed with the architects with English Heritage. Wherever possible we came up with new ways of concealing the installed equipment; we are always looking for ways to improve or enhance our building protections.
How do you approach the distinct security needs of Westminster Abbey? How does it differ from buildings that are not historic or listed?
The Abbey’s Security Team or Clerk of Works Department will ask us to investigate a particular installation, for example a new security alarm device or an access control system for a certain area. Unlike other installations I attend to this may be on a newly developed site or a site of historical significance. The doors and walls in the area will often be of Grade 1 listed importance. We will often consider several different installation strategies before presenting a solution to the Abbey’s team for approval.
Given the age and heritage of Westminster Abbey, the risks and challenges can often be quite unique. How do you identify the main conservation risks and security risks?
Once I have considered the solution to a task I discuss them with the Security staff to understand whether it meets their requirements. I will then check with the Clerk of Works department and the Conservation Department to identify any sensitive materials in the area. Often the entire site will be of historical significance and this means that it requires an extremely bespoke installation. Just because previous works have been carried out in a certain way historically does not mean that the same solution should be used again. You always need to be improving the quality of installations.
Is there ever a tension between the conservation risks and security risks? How do you address this?
Westminster Abbey is more than 1000 years old and is still evolving. One of the most important things is maintaining a good working relationship with the Abbey’s team and respecting their expertise. It is crucial to listen to any advice that is given.
Can you tell us more about any challenges you have faced in assessing and fitting security protections? How did you overcome this?
Something as simple as fixing a detector to a wall becomes a challenge as we are not allowed to drill or make fixings on the Stonework in the Abbey or sit a detector in a prominent location. However, we can overcome this problem by slightly relocating the device and using a cable tie on an existing metal strap. Unfortunately, not all problems are as easy to solve; setting a new proximity reader and electronic lock to a historic door set in a stone ach sometimes seem impossible! I remember once, I had to carry out an installation on a door without noticeably altering its appearance. To solve this, I decided to hide the reader and lock in a wood block. Thankfully the Abbey has an exceptional works department on site and after using some rough sketches they produced a Dark Oak stained housing for the reader and the lock. It worked very well!
Westminster Abbey is now a well-known tourist destination and attracts large numbers of visitors from all over the world in addition to staff and maintenance teams. This means that the site experiences far more traffic than it would have experienced originally. How do you address this increase in traffic and change in use?
Planning tasks to avoid busy times is essential. I often work earlier or later shifts depending on the area of the building that we are focused on. Last minute risk assessments really helps, in addition to simple things like carrying just the right amount of equipment to complete the task as efficiently as possible.
Does your day differ on the occasion of a royal wedding or other major event at the Abbey?
Depending on the event I will attend site and adjust the system operation to suite the security requirements for the day. This usually entails an early start to the day to get set up, once the events have concluded everything quite quickly returns to normal. I often find that this is a good time to catch up on some paperwork.
Westminster Abbey was built before electricity was invented and so lacked the necessary infrastructure – how did you address challenges of compliance, health and safety in these conditions eg. retro-fitting necessary cables or cameras?
Due to the historic nature of the building sometimes even the simplest tasks are a challenge. For example, uneven floors and stair threads can pose a challenge when moving around the site. Some days are busier than others due the volume of visitors, which is something we must bear in mind too. Every detail of the building has to be considered when working on an installation or maintenance job.
How long have you been working at Westminster Abbey? How has the security industry changed over that period?
I have worked at Westminster Abbey for nearly 14 years and am one of a long list of Chubb Security Engineers who have worked at the site for such a long time. Chubb has been assisting Westminster Abbey with its security protections for over 50 years, which is something that we are very proud of. Every now and then I come across a piece of equipment installed over 40 years ago which is still as functional as the day it was installed. That really underscores why the quality of installation and protection equipment is so important – it can almost last a lifetime!
