Proactive Ways To Maintain Workplace Security
Be it an office, the sales floor, or warehouse, your workplace is home to many high-value assets. From your employees to computers, merchandise, and in some cases, intellectual property (IP) and confidential information, these assets drive your business’ revenue.
However, for those very same reasons, your assets are also targets for theft and damage.
Your workplace environment could be at risk of insider theft, intrusion, external theft, or even a combination of multiple threats. Even in lower-risk industries, security procedures and systems are vital in terms of protecting your revenue from costly theft and damage.
In this piece, we’ll cover the essential steps you need to build practical security awareness and, above all, ensure workplace safety in your company.
5 Security Tips for the Workplace
1. Install a Video Surveillance System
Today, video surveillance systems are an essential part of any effective security system.
You cannot be on-site (or even in every area of the workplace) 24/7 to monitor the situation. A video surveillance system enables you to visually monitor your workplace around-the-clock.
These systems offer multiple benefits:
First, they deter threats by establishing presence — would-be perpetrators will know that your system is watching them. They’ll know that they may be caught, if not right away, then at least after committing the crime.
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Second, in the case of a breach, you can use the footage to audit the event to identify those responsible. You can also use the footage to find and close gaps in your security system.
Third, with video analytics technology, security managers can also quickly pick up events from hundreds of hours of video footage without manually viewing all of it. You can even integrate the system with facial and license plate recognition.
2. Use Access Control
You can protect critical assets — such as merchandise, IP, server rooms, filing cabinets with sensitive information, etc — by restricting access to sensitive areas.
You can do this with access control processes and systems.
First, as an organization, you must restrict access to sensitive areas to only employees who have gone through sufficient background security checks.
Second, you must physically restrict access to sensitive areas using key codes, key cards, ID badges and other authentication systems.
Finally, no workplace stays the same. You’ll have employees leaving, so it’s vital that you have the ability to quickly revoke their access. Today’s access control systems can let you delete or change their key codes remotely.
3. Get Alarm System Monitoring Services
You should also secure your entry points — such as doors, windows, etc — with alarm system monitoring services.
Should someone tamper or break-in through those entry points, the alarm system will go-off and alert your on-site security team. With managed services, your provider will also notify you about the incident and give you the option to immediately alert law-enforcement.
4. Train Employees
Take the time to train your employees in the best practices of workplace security and impart the importance of security in your workplace.
Train all employees to keep their personal belongings either nearby, or in a secure room. Teach your employees not to share their key codes or access cards with anyone, even their friends at the workplace or family.
5. Invest in Additional Measures
There are always additional measures you can take to protect your workplace, which will vary depending on factors including the size of your business, industry, and so on.
Don’t forget the human touch: install a front desk with an employee who will register and keep track of guests, and consider investing in a security guard.
If you’re designing your business from the ground up, including the location, you can design your workplace to allow as much visibility as possible.
Supplement security measures like cameras with well-thought-out space: if a floor plan for your store involves spaces that aren’t easily visible, then consider revising it.
Beyond the building, remember that you can secure your business from the inside out with perimeter security measures.
These measures can include physical, such as gates and fencing, to more complex, such as 24/7 security monitors. Often, the right system will involve a blend of measures.
Workplace crime costs businesses in the United States $50 billion annually, with average losses going as high as $1.13 million per year. As a business owner, investing in security is both a way to protect your investment and ensure revenue growth.
Don’t let crime eat into your revenue growth. Contact Logixx Security today to get a security system that protects your employees and assets from theft and damage.