Interview: P.Myagmarsuren “Being a contracted security guard is a skilled profession. Therefore, it requires people who are psychologically prepared to defend a given area and who have a kind heart and knowledge of the law”

We interviewed P.Myagmarsuren, Vice-Director of Bambai Security Service LLC. This company has accomplished a lot in the area of safety and has achieved many successes. 

-Recently, your company won the 2013 award for Oyu Tolgoi’s best supplier for safety performance. What are you doing in the area of safety?
–Our company has our own training centre. Here we conduct training on implementing Mongolian law’s on contractual security service, as well as safety performance training. Oyu Tolgoi safety training was integrated into our programme two years ago. This includes training on Oyu Tolgoi’s internal regulations and safety procedures. Once our employees are trained and pass official exams, they are registered on the Oyu Tolgoi supplier database and sent to the mine site.
-How long has your company been working with Oyu Tolgoi?  How many people do you have working there?
–We have been working with Oyu Tolgoi since 2002. Today, around 200 of our staff work at the mine in each shift.
-How do you conduct your training? Do Oyu Tolgoi trainers provide training?
– Authorised trainers conduct the training. If Oyu Tolgoi has new training courses, these are provided to us and we add them to our training schedule. We emphasise on-the-job training, rather than the training at the centre. That’s why 40% of our managers working at Oyu Tolgoi are also qualified trainers. Authorised managers train personnel on various subjects including job regulations, safety and reporting procedures, damage mitigation, and the records and reporting system. This training is very significant. People who have been on vacation for one month or more have to attend a two day refresher course when they return to work. This training is aimed at ensuring that nothing has been forgotten during the holiday, as well as to explain any changes to procedures and regulations.
-Co you conduct this training specially for your personnel who work at Oyu Tolgoi?
-We are working with the safety department at Oyu Tolgoi to qualify three more employees as trainers. We are committed to increasing the number of trainers that we have and conducting the same standard of internationally recognised safety performance training which takes place at Oyu Tolgoi for all of our contracted security guard personnel. This includes our security personnel working at Khoshoot mine, Khovd aimag, Buregkhangai, Bulgan aimag, Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi and at sites in Ulaanbaatar. We believe that the international safety standards and regulations already followed by Oyu Tolgoi, will become the future safety standards which will be followed throughout Mongolia. This is why we are taking this measure now.

-In your opinion, what are the advantages and what is special about Oyu Tolgoi’s safety performance standards?
– It is believed by some who work in sectors like road-building and construction, that if safety regulations are recorded and a labour safety form is signed, then the company has fulfilled its obligations. But in the case of Oyu Tolgoi, personnel for every area are trained beforehand and then re-trained on the job.
To ensure the full implementation of safety standards, things have to be checked every day and detailed work instructions and planning are needed. This is our main policy approach to safety. We see safety performance training as a key to reducing and preventing risks in the real world. A conscious effort is crucial to ensure safety and good working conditions for employees. Instructing personnel in an easy-to-understand way, using simple language, is needed to explain the importance of following safety regulations. We are working to create this kind of understanding from our employees, implement it and monitor the impact.
-Do you have the chance to encourage and implement this safety approach in other companies that you work with and influence their performance?
–Yes. The standards and regulations followed in all of our contractual security guard services are developed based on the international standards implemented by our company at Oyu Tolgoi. We are monitoring its implementation in each of the sectors that we work in. We comply with all the regulations of our clients.  Oyu Tolgoi is demonstrating what safety truly is, rather than just talking about it. We have introduced a quality and environmental management system, international standards of labour, and health and safety performance. We are developing our regulations, orders and instructions to comply with these standards and implementing them every day.
-You mentioned your training centre. Please tell us about it and your plans for the future.
-As I see it, being a contracted security guard is a skilled profession. Therefore, it requires people who are psychologically prepared to defend a given area and who have a kind heart and knowledge of the law. There is a need to train personnel, not only to stand and man entrances, but also have a comprehensive skill set, including evacuating people safely during a disaster or an emergency situation, providing emergency first aid and correctly protecting people. This is a pressing issue, not only for our company, but for all other contractual security service companies working across the country.
Therefore, we look for people who studied for two years at vocational school and passed their exams. They can then undertake practical training in our company or others. We submitted our training proposals to the Ministry of Labour and they are supporting it. We will conduct our new training programme at the centre for one year before getting it reviewed by the Ministry of Labour. Then we will work to set up a vocational school. Some functions of special agencies of government are expected to be shifted to non-governmental organisations and the private sector. Being a security guard is not just something which can be done in your free time without special knowledge and skill. There is a need to employ the best personnel with skills and knowledge in areas such as protecting valuable and confidential information belonging to individuals and organisations. A dedicated raining facility is needed to fulfil this requirement. There are positive signs that individuals are being provided with opportunities to work as security guards and to improve their livelihoods by gaining regular employment.