Mandy Loose is Fleet and Operations Manager at home security product company Evander. Here she looks at some of the considerations when protecting your business from physical external threats.
No matter what type of company you run, looking after your premises is paramount. There may be physical stock, sensitive data, and both material and digital assets contained on site, all of which are essential for the smooth running of your business operation. According to government figures, cybercrime is on the rise, with information security breaches reported by 90% of large organisations and by 74pc of small and medium-sized businesses in 2016. At the same time, more government figures suggest that physical vandalism and burglary of business premises is dropping year on year. In light of these findings, you may be tempted to concentrate on protecting your business online over enhancing the physical safety of your premises. However, it would be an oversight to do so.
It’s important to address all threats, and not just those which are the most pressing at the time. Many businesses, blinded by the urgency and novelty of online business crime, fail to place enough importance on the risks associated with physical external threats. Read on to find out more about how you can protect your business both inside and out.
Theft and vandalism can devastate a business and may cause a temporary shut-down while damaged is repaired and stock is replaced. Physical theft still happens, and, as we’re all more connected and communication is easier than ever before, it has become much simpler for both sophisticated and opportunistic groups to organise. Ensuring your premises has sufficient external protection in the form of walls, fences, toughened glazing and heavy duty locks is important, even if you have a top-of-the-range alarm system. Window locks in particular are often overlooked, and while you may not think anyone could possibly reach certain windows in your premises, you’d be surprised at what lengths some people will go to in order to gain entry. Security lighting is a must, as a business in darkness will become very tempting to an opportunist — the more visible your premises is to passers-by, the better.
Shutters or grilles can help to protect entrances when no-one is present, so ensure these are of good quality and are not rusted or damaged. If you’re thinking of installing shutters or similar to your premises, you may need planning permission from your local council, so always do your research first. Security cameras, CCTV, motion sensor alarms and on-site personnel may also be worth considering, depending on the nature and the environment surrounding your building. Data protection rules may apply where video capture is used, so be sure to check what is required before having a system set up.
Extreme weather
While human-caused theft and damage may be the first thing that springs to mind when considering property threats, Mother Nature can also cause a lot of damage. Unfortunately, no amount of security lighting and intruder alarms are going to deter an extreme weather front, or prevent an electrical fire from taking hold, so it’s up to you to ensure your premises is as protected as possible. It’s worth setting up extreme weather and flood alerts to your phone for the area in which your business is located, as they will give you advanced warning of any risk. Whether your premises has been built recently or is based in an older building, it’s important to keep an eye on what it looks like from the outside. Any cracks in the masonry, loose bricks or tiles, and damp problems should be addressed as soon as possible, as these can all cause structural weakness and may pose a risk in the future or during extreme weather.
Have your electrics and gas systems checked over on a yearly basis and ensure that all staff fully understand — and can follow — emergency procedures in the case of fire or another emergency. The more prepared your employees are, the better — especially when it comes to personal safety. Last but not least, always ensure your insurance policies are up to date and that they are fit for purpose. Read them in full — you may find that your current policy fails to cover you for certain eventualities, or that you are not complying with particular stipulations. Keep your policy information and the number you need to call handy in case of emergency, and with any luck you’ll never have to use it at all.
