As we head towards the winter and the darker nights, businesses should consider their risk of burglary and introduce new measures to protect their premises, assets, and staff. You’ll need much more than a standard burglar alarm system and 999 on speed dial if you want to outmanoeuvre today’s criminals – below, we’ve put together some tips on boosting security.
Consider CCTV installation
Whilst it may seem expensive initially, CCTV installation is one of the best ways to give your business added protection against criminals, and peace of mind when you’re away from your premises. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of CCTV installation is that, as well as being a deterrent to most criminals, it protects you should your business fall victim to crime. You will not only have evidence of a burglary or other wrongdoing, but you can prove it to your insurance company and ensure you’re protected financially. Paying a third-party facility management company to monitor your CCTV and provide on-the-ground security can help.
Know who’s coming in
Unless you’re a customer-facing business and see hundreds of clients at your office space each day, the chances are that you’ll only welcome guests occasionally. Because of this, you should invest in a system that allows you to track who is coming into your premises, and who is leaving. You could go down the old-fashioned route of a visitor’s book, but a self-service system could prove to be an alternative, welcoming guests into your premises and collecting information on them. This can prevent unwanted visitors, account for everyone in your office at any one time, and also allow you to collect data for future marketing and sales purposes.
Don’t forget about your staff
In the UK, employee theft costs businesses more than £190 million every year. It’s vital that you know who has access to sensitive information and money and vet them regularly to ensure they’re performing with your company’s best interests at heart. Employee theft can have a significant impact on your business, so create a policy, supervise staff carefully, and be sensitive when handling a potential theft; collect evidence before you go in for the kill.
Plan for the worst
Something else that businesses should do is make a plan for the worst-case-scenario. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that crime does happen, and whether it’s a break-in, a robbery, or even a terrorist attack, having a plan in place will give you added protection. Think about how you can secure sensitive business assets, have dedicated contacts to hand, and think about how your staff can be protected from physical harm; you may need a secure room.
Think about locks
Finally, think about locks in your office space. Who has access, when were the locks last changed, and do they work? More advanced technologies such as contactless keyless entry or even facial recognition entry could be offered as an alternative to both streamline the locking and unlocking process, and protect your office space and assets from entering into the wrong hands. Some measures may seem extreme, but they’re vitally important.
There you have it – some tips on boosting office security. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on running a safe and successful business, and leave your questions in the comments.
