We often think wrongly that the security within an organization is the concern of the managers and the dedicated departments only. At the end of the day, though, every stakeholder (owners, managers, and employees) has a role to play in the daily safety of their workplace.
Fortunately, there are easy steps to undertake every day to ensure the safety of everyone within a company:
- Avoid hiding spots and increase visibility by pruning greenery around your premises:
Every section of your property you cannot easily see is a potential hiding place for a robber.
Especially if your office is located on the main floor. If you have a multi-floor building, make sure that there is no easy access to the upper floors from the ground.
- Don’t leave any entrance points or parking lot unlit.
As much as hidden spots, darkness is one of a thief’s best friends. They want to get in and out of a building as discreetly as possible, unnoticed. Do not give them this satisfaction. Make sure you have motion sensors attached to lights. THis will make it be more difficult for them to achieve their goals.
- Use window signs wisely:
We all agree than windows signs are a great marketing tool and an effective way to communicate with passersby and customers about your business. However, sometimes these signs can give potential burglars a spot they can hide. This will let them enter the building without being noticed from the inside.
- Get a security system with monitored cameras:
Coming from a security company, it might sound like a commercial. However, when you look at all studies and talk to any police officer, you will see that a security system is both an effective tool and something that offers peace of mind to business owners and their employees.
- Train your team to be your best theft detector:
Burglars and thieves do not have distinctive characteristics. They look like everyone else and the last thing they want is to draw attention to themselves. The only thing you could use to identify them, is their unusual behavior. Detecting suspicious behaviors is not rocket science but still needs a trained eye. Get all your co-workers a training course so that burglar prevention becomes a daily team effort.
- Carefully check all doors and windows at closing time:
That seems to be common sense advice, but the slightest oversight or careless mistake can give a thief the in they need. Make sure to review every point of entry before you leave the premises. Lots of burglaries occur through unlocked doors or not fully secured windows.
- Know who you are working with :
Another obvious tip is to make sure you check new employee references before hiring them. Even if there is no such thing as “zero risk”, and without becoming paranoid either, technology and communication offers you many different way to achieve this: calling former employers and colleagues, run a police check, even checking their social media profiles.
- Never be alone to open and close your business:
Opening and closing time are the most common times for robberies. It is here you are the most vulnerable, because you’re busy locking or unlocking your premises and inattentive to your surroundings. Therefore, having a minimum of two staff members at those specific times is crucial to the safety of your company and your employees themselves.
- When talking about safety, other businesses in your area become your partners:
We know that competition is everywhere. And depending on your activity, the area around you might be your worst competition. However, when it comes to the security for all, competition no longer exists. Other businesses in your area become partners you can work with to promote and gather security strategies and efforts. Do not neglect this opportunity to keep your business, customers and areas safe at all times.