Every building has a potential risk of vulnerability. This even includes commercial properties. Understanding what risks your company faces will help you protect yourself, your clients, and your employees.
Don’t wait until something unfortunate happens to start thinking about building security. With technological advancements, malicious people are also becoming creative with their breaking-in strategies.
There are still multiple ways to keep your building safe. Here are useful tips for building security.
Make a List of Potential Risks
Before coming up with a plan, it’s crucial you understand what you’re protecting yourself against. The risks vary from one area to another. You can use past incidents in the area to know what security issues have affected neighboring businesses.
The information will help the commercial security company you approach in coming up with valid preventive measurements.
Industrial Fencing
This is a common solution for most businesses. Industrial fencing helps in keeping unauthorized individuals from the business compound. This not only secures the business premises but also reduces the number of distractions.
There are multiple choices for industrial fencing. The best choice depends on the intensity of threats in the area, and the budget of a business owner.
Here are common types of industrial fencing.
- Chain link fencing
- Wooden hoarding
- Wooden or timber fencing
- Palisade fencing
- Metal hoarding
- Mesh panel fencing
Find a reliable industrial fencing company to help you with the options that fit your business best.
Secure Perimeter
This should be in the first line of defense. With risk analysis, you can identify blind and dark spots around your building. Safety and security are improved by installing lighting in areas such as break areas, parking lots, dark hallways, and stairwells.
Consider installing motion-activated lights and internal lights that make your property look occupied and under surveillance even when there is no one. If you have trees in your business area, trim them neatly to eliminate any potential hideouts.
Access and Regulation
This can be done using electronic control or natural control. Natural access includes using landscaping factors such as entrance and exit. This enhances building security by limiting people who enter the property into two areas that are continuously monitored.
It also discourages the development of escape routes. The other option is electronic control. This monitor who enters the building, when they come and where they can access.
Additionally, it’s possible to control where different people have the right to access. For example.
- Contractors can be given access to a particular area for a specific duration of time.
- Visitors are limited to public areas
- Employees are given access to different departments based on their positions.
A good control system creates audit trails and reports that can be retrieved in the case of a security bridge.
Security Cameras
For enhanced building security, a closed-circuit TV system (CCTV) is efficient in monitoring is important. When installing CCTV, be strategic so that each of them can cover the maximum area possible.
For example, having a security camera in an “airlock” door stem entry makes sure there is a record of all people who enter and leave the premises. Besides monitoring all activities that are happening in your building, they also act as deterrent tools. This significantly contributes to securing your building. Effective planning of building security can provide a safer environment for you. One important factor is installing high-quality skylights. This article reviews the best skylights reviews from HouseProf.
Key Control
Where electronic control isn’t an option, key control comes in handy. Come up with a system for controlling and distributing keys. Assign key custodianship to a few trustworthy individuals.
Detailed instructions should accompany key control on when to open or close the office. Remember to secure places like bathrooms and closet areas. Also, consider installing airlock and security doors.
A Receptionist
An extra layer of defense in a building doesn’t hurt. Having a person to greet and check-in visitors is a great security hack. It gives room for conducting a close inspection of credentials and IDs, and make sure security data goes through one point.
A receptionist also helps in directing the visitors to their right destinations to avoid any kind of confusion. If a receptionist can’t be accommodated in your building, get a phone in your office lobby and hire a designated receiver.
Here visitors are tracked through a sign-in station. In some cases, this may be the building security you need.
Cyber Security
Just as critical as building security is, securing your property against cyber attacks is equally important. Therefore investing in sophisticated virus prevention tools, worms, Trojans, spyware, and malware should be high in your priority list.
The cybersecurity plan should include security for wireless internet routers. Also, remember firewalls and a backup plan just in case the attack occurs.
Clear Cut Policies
There are many clear cut policies that companies can employ based on their needs. Here are a few examples:
Clear desk policy. At the end of every day, all relevant documents should be safely locked to prevent access from unauthorized staff.
Chain of possession. All deliveries should be directly handled to the right person instead of placing it on their desk or outside the door.
To avoid people with ill-intentions from using names of authorities to access company property, job descriptions shouldn’t be posted on directories that are accessible to the public. For large corporations to recognize intruders, all employees should wear their IDs/badge whenever they’re around the business premises.
Employee Training
A lot of cases of security breaches happen as a result of employee carelessness or lack of knowledge. Take your time to train employees on the best security practices and why they’re important for everyone on the premises.
Do You Need More Building Security Tips?
Your physical business is the first valuable property in your company. Any damage or destruction may put your business on hold.
If your building is frequently invaded, professionals and employees may not feel safe in your firm. This can cause you to have a hard time running your business. These simple building security hacks can prevent all this from happening.
For more tips and advice on running a business, check out the rest of our blog.
