Five Resolutions to Improve Business Safety and Security This Year
The New Year is finally here - and that means it’s time to plan out your resolutions for the year ahead. Most people set resolutions each year centred around self-improvement, and it shouldn’t be any different for your business. As a business owner or manager, it’s important that you set some time aside at the start of a new year to think about how you want to improve your business over the next twelve months and set out any goals you want to achieve.
Security plays a huge role in the success of any business and therefore it’s crucial that it’s at the top of your priority list. Without the correct measures in place, the safety and security of your building and employees could be at risk - and therefore it’s important that you regularly check and reflect on the current security measures you have in place.
January is a great time to plan out how you aim to improve business security this year and fortunately, our team of experts have lots of suggestions, tips and tricks for you. Get your business off to the best start possible this year with our five security resolutions below.
Appoint someone to oversee security
Business security is something that should be taken very seriously; security measures should be regularly inspected and maintained and the building should be regularly reviewed - but as a business owner or manager, you likely don’t have the time to keep an eye on it yourself at all times. Appoint someone within your business to oversee all things security. They don’t have to be a top expert, but they should have suitable training and be someone you trust with the capacity to take on this extra role.
The person you appoint to oversee security should be responsible for ensuring all security systems are maintained, track and record who has access to security information, regularly update keyholder information and be the point of contact for security information.
Put together a maintenance plan
Just like anything, security measures need to be properly maintained to ensure they continue to operate correctly and efficiently - and therefore it’s a good idea to make sure you have a proper maintenance plan in place. Keeping on top of maintenance and ensuring repairs are carried out when necessary will prevent any nasty surprises down the line and help to ensure your repair bills don’t rack up. Whether your security equipment isn’t serviced quite as regularly as it should be or you can’t remember the last time you gave your CCTV cameras a good clean and test, make sure you head into the New Year with a plan in place.
A hugely important aspect of maintenance is to test your equipment regularly, so it’s crucial you (or someone else) gets into the habit of carrying out regular tests. Aim to make sure all security alarms, emergency lighting and access control systems are checked weekly by someone who is suitably trained.
Check your fire risk assessment is up to date
Your business must have a completed fire risk assessment in place. This is the responsibility of the person in charge of fire safety, whether that be the employer or the building owner. However, once a fire risk assessment has been completed, it’s important it’s not forgotten about. Fire risk assessments can very easily fall out of date and while it’s advised that your fire risk assessment is reviewed annually, we recommend regularly checking your workplace for any changes that could affect the assessment.
Regularly looking out for changes and updating your fire risk assessment throughout the year will make it far more manageable when your annual fire risk assessment review comes around too.
Light up your building
If you don’t already have emergency lighting in place, make it your mission to head into the New Year with a good lighting system. Installing motion-sensored lighting in all entryways of your building is a surefire way to deter any potential intruders and keep thieves away from your property. Good lighting will also help to eliminate any hiding spots, keeping criminals at bay and highlighting the presence of anyone trying to access your property.
The trick is to keep anyone watching your premises guessing as to whether the building is occupied or not. An empty building is an easier target than one that still has employees in. Therefore, if the internal lights in your building have timers, set them to turn on at random intervals. This will ensure any would-be criminals or potential intruders never know who’s in your building and when, which is a great deterrent.
Install CCTV
Installing CCTV is a great and cost-effective way to add an extra layer of security to your business. Even just the sight of a CCTV camera can be enough to put off criminals who may be tempted to try to access your building; the last thing they want is to be seen or captured on camera. Installing CCTV enables you to monitor exactly who enters and exits your building, who is in and around your building and you can cover any blind spots that people may target to access your building too. Your CCTV camera can be easily connected to a smart device so that you can quickly and conveniently monitor your building at all times, from anywhere.
In the unfortunate event that anything does happen to your building, CCTV footage is a good source of evidence to pass on to police to help them track the culprits.
Use signs to deter criminals
Another great way to deter would-be criminals is to display CCTV signs around your premises. If there’s a chance that an intruder thinks they’re being watched at that very moment, they’re far less likely to try to access your building. Display signs around your building that clearly show you have active CCTV in place and make sure you put them in obvious places so they can’t be missed. We also recommend installing signs that state your CCTV is being monitored live by security professionals.
Be careful what you share
It pays to monitor exactly what you and your employees share with the outside world. If you’re a small business occupying one building, try to avoid oversharing when everyone is going home for Christmas or when all employees will be out of office for a significant period of time as this can alert potential criminals and intruders to when your building will be empty and unoccupied. Instead, make sure all employees know the importance of monitoring what they share online and when to share their out of office hours.
Shuretech: Your Professional Security Company in Reading
At Shuretech Ltd, we know just how important it is to ensure your business security is up to scratch. If you’re looking for a reliable company offering high-quality security systems, you needn’t look further than us. We can supply, install and maintain a variety of security products for commercial properties, from CCTV and access control to commercial gates and barriers. All of our engineers are health and safety accredited, offering a professional and reliable service to ensure your commercial building is secure and protected.
To learn more about us and our security services, visit our website today.
