Skip to main content
2016 OAS Guidelines

2.V.3. Appropriate access controls

In order to protect access to the premises and prevent tampering with goods, the applicant shall implement "appropriate measures to prevent unauthorized access to offices, shipping areas, loading docks, loading areas, and other relevant locations."

There may be cases where external security measures such as barbed wire, fences, and lighting devices are mandatory (when goods are stored outside buildings, the walls of these buildings are not considered an external perimeter, or the protection of the buildings and access to them is not sufficiently ensured). On the other hand, there may be cases where a complete outer circular wall is neither possible nor necessary. This may be the case if the applicant leases part of an industrial or logistics park, no goods are stored outside, and other physical security requirements, such as those relating to building security, are highly stringent.

All security-sensitive areas must be protected against unauthorized access by third parties, as well as by the applicant's own personnel who lack the appropriate security skills or clearances to access them. This covers not only access control for unauthorized persons, but also for unauthorized vehicles and merchandise.

Routines for responding to security incidents in the event of unauthorized or attempted access to the premises (e.g., unauthorized access to the premises) shall be established and properly implemented. e.g., contact with local police, internal security personnel and, where appropriate, customs authorities). In this context, it is also important to know that the AEO security concept aims to prevent incidents. Therefore, any security breach must be reported before it can have a significant impact on the security and safety of the international supply chain. An example would be CCTV systems that simply record but do not monitor. Although they may be sufficient for other purposes, they are not sufficient for the AEOS.

When assessing this condition, it is of utmost importance to take into account the specific characteristics of SMEs. Although SMEs must meet the same requirements as large enterprises regarding internal access control procedures, they may benefit from different solutions regarding access controls. By way of example:

  • In most cases, small and micro-enterprises lack sufficient resources to dedicate employees to monitoring access to facilities. In this case, for example, a fence equipped with an intercom will allow remote control of access to the facilities.
  • Instructions reminding drivers to keep the doors to the shipping areas locked and to equip them with a buzzer for drivers wishing to enter the shipping area could prevent unauthorized access to the loading areas.
  • Although large companies are expected to provide ID cards to their staff and all visitors, this measure may be unnecessary for SMEs.