There are a large number of business premises that have closed their doors for some time now. They may be opening up, but in many cases, still not to the extent that they once were. That means that many business premises are left unmanned for longer than ever, increasing your risk of theft or damage. Sadly, there are many physical business premises that fall victim to crime, so now more than ever, it is vital to keep your premises secure. Although there may not be information like customer data on the premises (in some cases there will be), it will cost a lot to repair damage or deal with theft of vital tools or machinery if it was to occur at your premises. Having security measures in place that are up to date and that work effectively will help to prevent any potential theft, harm, or damage.
If you don’t have as many employees going onto site at the moment, then it can be hard to know exactly what kind of security measures to have in place. But by going through and planning out what is required, it will enable your business to be kept secure, as well as make it a safe environment for people to return to, when necessary. With all of that in mind, here are some security tips to help to mitigate any security risks for business premises, whether you have some staff on site or some working remotely or away on a project.
Keep all of your procedures and physical security all the time
Due to the nature of the past eighteen months, there are a number of petty criminals that have been restricted in what they can do without getting caught. As people are going out and about more and getting back to some kind of normal life, they are looking for those errors or lack in security to be able to take advantage of them. That is why it is important to check what procedures and physical security you have in place at the moment. If you have always had a 24-hour security team at the premises, then this is a good thing to keep. If you haven’t, is this something to consider?
If you have systems and alarms in place at the moment, then checking it is all working and up to date is important. If you haven’t or it needs to be upgraded, then you could look to use a company like Watchmen Security Services to secure the business premises. Whether it is CCTV cameras, security alarms connected to the police, fire alarms, and so on, it can all make a difference to the security of your premises.
Think about changing who has access to what areas of the building
Having an access control system for your business can be such a good thing. But it can also be taken advantage of if you have colleagues who are would-be criminals or who have lost their passes and could put the premises at risk. Staff could have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic or been fired, and if you don’t revoke access, then they could come onto site at any time (which isn’t ideal if you have a disgruntled employee). Due to the nature of control systems like this, you can control the access and revoke access at any time for all different staff members. By doing this, it means that you can only allow staff who need to attend certain areas of the building, or attend at all, to have access. This is a step that can immediately reduce the risk of any potential thefts.
Use security measures like a safe to protect valuable information
There is no getting away from the fact that there are some old-school measures that do still have a place on business premises. Hotels, for example, still have classic metal safes in them for guests to keep their valuables safe and secure. When it comes to business, a lot of important information is likely to be on devices stored in the cloud. However, there will be some physical documents that you have for customers and staff members, such as contracts, that need to be kept secure and safe.
There are also some physical valuables that need to be kept safe. Don’t underestimate the value of having a commercial safe on the premises to use. For cash or important documents, and everything in between, it can be something impossible for thieves to get into, so just make sure that you have a high quality safe and that your business insurance is aware of what you are using so that it won’t invalidate any insurance.
Complete a stock check for inventory and business machinery and tools
It is a good idea to go through your inventory and stock, as well as your equipment and tools, depending on your business. Small thefts and losses can get missed if they are subtle and small. However, if you go through this regularly, any irregularities will become clear. Making sure that all of your business assets and equipment are all clearly marked with all of your business details is another great point to consider. You should also make sure that any business critical items of machinery, for example, are insured. Again, check this with your business insurance company.
How businesses have run over the past year and a half has changed dramatically, and it is something that is proving quite difficult for businesses; there are different things for businesses to think about that they would have never needed to consider before. When it comes to the security of your business, prevention is definitely better than cure. You can prevent a lot of potential threats to your security with some or all of these measures in place. You won’t want to leave it too late. With these steps in place, you can have some peace of mind that the business is covered and you are doing all that you can to keep your premises secure, as well as staff.
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