Protecting your Business Premises 101

Crime will always be a concern for your firm, whether your business is large or small. Offences against businesses account for around 20 per cent of all recorded crime every year in the UK. Criminals are always thinking of new ways to steal from business owners: it’s up to you to figure out how to limit the risks that your business faces.

Protecting your business premises is hard when criminals pursue increasingly sophisticated methods of stealing from you. Cyber crime, for instance, accounts for losses up to £21 billion a year from various industries in the UK.

Most vandalism and burglary tends to occur when business premises are empty, with 54 per cent of the incidents occurring over the weekend, with 46 per cent happening during the week. These kinds of damages are not necessarily restricted to the premises itself, either: industries in the UK experienced 66,000 vehicle-related thefts last year alone.

It’s clear that crime against businesses is a problem that isn’t going to disappear overnight. Fortunately, there are measures you can take in order to protect your firm.

Assessing your security risks

Carrying out a crime risk assessment of the commercial premises involved is the first step you must take in making your business crime-proof. A stringent inspection will be necessary, where you will identify the areas most vulnerable to criminals. This could relate to expensive equipment, cash or store stock.

Knowing the risks involved is half the battle. By identifying where your business is most vulnerable, you will be able to ensure that you place security measures where they are required. You’ll find that appropriate application will save you on insurance premiums.

Securing the exteriors

Premises that are not adequately lit tend to attract criminals, so make sure that all access areas to the premises are well lit at night. It’ll be worth your while to invest in CCTV. Roof access in particular needs to be monitored and secured. Many businesses now use anti-climb paint, with warning signs that help deter criminals.

Window locks and doors should be always be strengthened. Except in certain cases, most burglaries tend to be unplanned. Having reinforced access points will be more likely to deter them after an initial, unplanned attempt at breaching your business premises.

Alarm systems tend to discourage most criminals after one failed attempt. Having one installed will also reduce your insurance premiums.

Protecting your staff

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees are adequately protected against burglary attempts. Introduce security training to your staff if you haven’t done so already, so that they know what to do in the event of criminal threat. It’s always better to give up your goods or cash than risking personal harm in trying to defend it.

You can also help protect your employees by making sure that there is as little cash as possible on the premises and that all tills are emptied routinely.

It would also be useful to designate certain staff members who will have the responsibility of holding the keys for the premises. If you’re paying for security services, enquire about how the security firm can train your employees, as well as install panic buttons and security mirrors to cover blind spots.

Security is one of the largest responsibilities that you’ll have as a business owner. Not only do you have to make sure that your business premises are crime-proof, you also have to ensure that your employees are trained so that they know what to do during a security emergency.

Making sure security measures are in place isn’t a one-off concern that you can forget about afterwards. Maintaining regular checks and assessments is crucial to protecting your business. It’s highly recommended that you carry out these checks at least once a year to make sure that you have no weak spots.