When you think about securing your workplace, your mind probably turns to intrusion alarms that can protect your assets and property from vandals or burglars when you are not there. You may have the most sophisticated equipment in place to detect an unwanted presence, provide deterrence and notify all stakeholders promptly, but are you sure that you are fully protecting your business from all angles? Why should you consider some of the less common but nevertheless dangerous threats out there?
Dealing with Violence
Remember, you have a duty of care to all your employees on site and shouldn't focus all your attention on inanimate objects. While this particular issue is more prevalent in other societies around the world than it is here, you nevertheless need to be aware of workplace violence and how it could affect your business. This can take many forms and could involve an internal dispute between employees, but it may also pose a problem when an irate customer or an intruder of any kind comes into your facility during operating hours. You need to make sure that you have security measures in place to help mitigate this potential problem.
Careful Access
If you have not already done so, you need to restrict access at all times to authorised personnel only. This means that you need to have all your outward-facing doors locked so that anyone who seeks to gain access must identify themselves first and can be seen through a one-way video monitor. You must ensure that the lighting in these areas is of the highest quality to help in the process of identification.
Panic Alarms
Think about installing panic buttons at strategic locations within each office or other part of your facility. These should be close to an area that is occupied continuously through working hours so the individual there can immediately alert authorities should an incident break out.
Full Education
To help ensure that all your employees are ready for any eventuality, you should invest in an education course that will run them through the process whenever a threat materialises. Thankfully, gun-related violence is almost unheard of here, but it may nevertheless be crucial to alert the police very quickly if it looks as if something could turn nasty.
Video Cameras
Finally, install video surveillance cameras throughout your business and make sure that they are always active and gathering any evidence required. Just remember to inform all your employees why you are doing this so that they don't become worried about their privacy. Once you've done that, post a notice next to every entrance point so that all visitors are aware that their behaviour will be recorded.
Ever Ready
Talk with your business security consultant to see what additional measures you can put in place as soon as possible.
Share3 October 2018
Mobile technology has made such a difference to our lives. It can be a valuable tool to help your business stay secure as well. This can be as simple as having a feed from your security cameras that goes directly to your phone or tablet, or as complex as having an application that measures the distance between your staff and their computer and automatically alerts them if someone is trying to log onto their computer while they are away from their desk. Using mobile technology to your advantage can be a great way to enhance your security at an affordable cost.
