Top Tips to Secure your Commercial Property

Whatever the size of your business, there are a number of fundamental security strategies that should be topping your priority list so you can be certain that your workforce, stock, equipment and premises are all safeguarded. Let’s take a look at the top ten measures you should be implementing to protect your commercial property.

1.     Run a risk assessment

Without a site specific risk assessment, it will be impossible to work out which areas of your premises are most vulnerable to intrusion. You need to be aware of the weak points in your property.

Involve staff in your risk assessment as they will be a good source of feedback as to where improvements can be made. Also look at local news reports and talk to other business owners in the area so you are aware of any recent breaches of security. Knowing precisely how premises are being targeted by local criminals is prime insider intelligence that can give you the upper hand.

2.     Get the team involved

If you make your commercial premises security a team effort then your chances of success in keeping your property and everything in it safe will be amplified.

Any security measures you implement will only be effective if everyone in your organisation is aware of them and how important they are. Make communication a key aspect of your strategy.

3.     Secure valuable assets

Your risk assessment should identify your most valuable assets. These could be stock, plant or other equipment vital to the running of your business. Consider the ramifications of losing these items to theft or other disaster, and you will realise how vital it is to protect them.

Be sure to invest in a safe to keep money and other portable valuables secure, and fix it in place. If you store large volumes of stock or high value plant or other important equipment such as IT hardware, you will benefit from investing in a multi-layered security solution incorporating physical elements such as high security locks, reinforced doors and security grilles, as well as electronics such as access control and a CCTV and intruder alarm system. Robust perimeter security is also of paramount importance.

4.     Mark and tag valuables

Marked or tagged valuables are far less attractive to thieves. Police approved forensic marking solutions such as SmartWater can be applied to anything of financial value. SmartWater has a unique forensic code that is registered to your address, allowing the police to trace any recovered property back to you.

Security tags come with built-in trackers, allowing you to monitor valuables so that if they are taken, it is much easier to locate them.

5.     Take physical steps to secure company data

If your company uses any form of IT based or online data storage and management system then it will be exposed to the dangers of hackers and it is vital that equal attention is paid to the physical aspects of protecting data, as well as the cyber security related ones.

6.     Conduct regular security reviews

Don’t let your risk assessment be the end of your security checks. Things change, so regular reviews are vital. Make a point of conducting an annual security review, and engage the expertise of a security professional to help you. You should be looking for things like breakages to doors, windows and other entry points and checking that all your security installations are functioning optimally, as well as considering any new threats that have arisen over the past year.

Outside of your annual checks, there could be other times when a review becomes necessary, such as in response to an attempted break-in on your premises, or others in the area.

Commercial Security Advice from Barry Bros Security

For more than six decades, Barry Bros Security has been assisting businesses in devising security solutions that respond directly to their risk assessments. For expert, tailored advice on all aspects of securing your commercial premises, you are welcome to get in touch, or visit our London security showroom to browse our full range of security products and benefit from individual guidance.