Business Daily.
.
The Property Pack
A+ R A-

7 Tips to Secure Your Commercial Property




Companies around Australia are spending up big to protect their people and property. One single intruder could cause irreparable damage to a business’ reputation or bottom line, so it’s imperative to keep the bad guys at bay.

Here are 7 simple tips for securing your property and protecting your business.



1. Be proactive

The best security policies are proactive rather than reactive. Instead of waiting for a breach to occur and adjusting your procedures accordingly, it’s essential to fill in potential security gaps ahead of time.

Conduct a risk assessment of your property to identify all possible security issues and take appropriate action. Bigger businesses with more valuable assets may want to get a professional service to undertake the evaluation on their behalf. For more commercial advice feel free to contact RothCapital.

2. Secure the perimeter

The first line of defence for any property is the perimeter, which will vary depending on the premises in question. Large, low-risk properties like those of agricultural companies could erect a simple wire fence. On the other hand, businesses with high-value merchandise or sensitive information could opt for chain-link fences with barbed wire and motion sensor cameras. In either case, ensure outdoor perimeters are well lit and clear of shrubs and trees.

Urban businesses are typically contained within the confines of the building itself, in which case your attention can shift to controlling the access points.

3. Enforce access control

A well-established perimeter will naturally guide visitors towards a pre-determined access point, which you must monitor to ensure only authorised personnel can pass through.

Client-facing businesses usually hire a receptionist to monitor who comes in and out while providing customer service to the public. Offices and industrial complexes, however, are better off getting an electronic access control system installed. These systems typically use either a pin code or a swipe card to determine who can enter, when they can enter, and where they can go. The business can assign different levels of access for specialists such as IT staff and contractors, and the system creates a digital paper trail of everyone going in and out.

4. Get the lighting right

Criminals prefer to operate under cover of darkness, so installing adequate lighting is a cost-effective way to secure your premises.

Motion sensor flood lights are capable of illuminating a large area at a low cost, although if you’ve got a highly secure compound, you might prefer to leave them on the whole night long. Be sure to provide adequate lighting in your car park so your employees feel safe returning to their cars and won’t stumble and trip in the dark.

5. Install a security system

A wireless alarm system is an effective solution for securing your commercial property, and they’re probably cheaper than you think. Due to the wireless nature, these alarm systems aren’t prohibitively expensive to install, and you can mix and match the components you need to build a bespoke set-up for your property.

Although requirements vary, commercial properties can include cameras, sirens, strobes, monitors, smoke alarms, and keypads into the system. You can save footage on a hard drive—either locally or in the cloud—to keep a permanent record of everyone who enters the premises.

6. Implement policies and procedures

Assigning clear and consistent policies and procedures enable your staff to contribute towards a safe and secure working environment. Consider the following:

A clean desk policy where all staff who work with sensitive information must lock up their documents at the end of the day and lock down their computer when not in use

A chain of possession policy in which deliveries must be handed directly to the recipient

An identification policy in which staff must wear the appropriate ID pass at all times

7. Train your staff

To ensure staff complies with your procedures, you need to train them on your company’s best practices. Intermittent training sessions and email or newsletter reminders are an effective way of keeping security at the forefront. Staff who consistently fail to comply with your company’s best practices may require additional training or discipline.

Safeguarding the security of a commercial property is essential to every business. Keep these seven tips in mind to secure your property and keep your people and assets safe from harm.
Business Daily Media