Jonathan Burke, pictured, Marketing Manager at Abloy UK, discusses the dangers of not having the correct security and access control measures in place, and what specifiers should consider, to select the most effective solution.
Securing a commercial property against the risk of burglary can be an extremely challenging task. There may be a number of access points to protect, and whatever measures are in place must not prevent the safe access and egress for the occupants of the building.
A recent survey carried out by the Home Office (Crime against businesses: Detailed findings from the 2012 Commercial Victimisation Survey, published June 2013) uncovered some facts about how burglars were accessing commercial premises. In incidents of burglary with entry, the most commonly reported way that the building was accessed was through a wooden or glass door (36 per cent of incidents), or a metal door, roller door or shutter (17 per cent of incidents).
It was also discovered that the presence of door measures – such as bars, shutters, and security locks on windows – led to lower vandalism rates than those without these types of security.
Protective door measures at premises were associated with lower levels of assaults or threats (727 incidents per 1000 premises) than those with no window or door measures (967 per 1000). In addition to this, protective door measures at premises were also associated with lower levels of robbery (282 incidents per 1000 premises) than those with no window or door measures (706 per 1000).
Internal assets
However, it’s not just the exterior of the building that needs to be secured. There may be extra sensitive areas that hold stock and data that need protecting from thieves and criminals.
Areas such as these often contain the most valuable and scarce resources of the business. If these areas are left unchecked, items may be taken or damaged which could put the operation of the business in jeopardy.
It’s not just the people outside of the building who can put the business at risk. Theft by employees carries an average cost of £1048, which doesn’t include the cost of having to recruit a new team member. So what measures can be put in place to ensure the safety of the business and its assets?
To secure such areas and to protect your business from the risks facing them Abloy recommends installing an access control system such as SMARTair. The SMARTair access control system allows businesses to easily control and track who enters or exits through any door in a building, which reduces the risk of employees or members of the public committing burglary on the premises.
SMARTair is a modular fully scalable access control system that is simple to use and install, it doesn’t require any wires or modification to walls. If you’re looking to expand an existing system you can do that too. The solution is also cost effective and suitable for any amount of doors whilst still providing secure access for any application.
Also available is Abloy’s range of security door cylinders that feature superior build quality. This is due to them using a rotating disk mechanism to ensure they cannot be picked or bumped. Abloy cylinders can also form part of a master key system enabling further access control, and by installing these cylinders; specifiers can add a higher level of security to a business. Abloy’s range of rim and mortice locks are for securing a wide range of business premises with models fully complying to European standards. Rim and mortice locks are stronger and more versatile than a bored cylindrical lock, both in external trim, and functionality.
So when it comes to selecting the most effective solution in order to protect a building against the risk of burglary and theft, adding an enhanced access control system to the premises alongside a combination of rim and mortice locks will ensure the premises and its occupants are as secure as possible. Visit www.abloy.co.uk/london.
