Is your Essex business as safe and secure as it could be?

Dealing with the prospect of criminals and ensuring valuable assets remain safeguarded are sadly ever-present problems today that nearly every business faces. Unfortunately, there are some people in the world who will go to great lengths to take what is not theirs and usually don’t care about the consequences that may arise from taking them either.

But business owners and decisions makers often do know that standing up and remaining vigilant against these threats is the only way to go. Having said that, some organisations aren’t as safe and secure as they could be, we would like to change this by educating business owners, managers and directors.

Access Facilities Management, a recognised and reputable security company based in Essex, they believe that if you are not aware of the following issues then your business could be more susceptible to burglaries and break-ins than others:-

Risk assessment

Failing to identify your weaknesses or opportunities where a crime could take place is very dangerous. For instance, leaving cash tills unsecured or failing to maintain the property’s surroundings will tempt would-be offenders into stealing from you by making things easy for them. So, conduct a full security risk assessment to ensure your business can both identify and subsequently improve inadequate or substandard security.

Property protection

Simply locking the doors and windows isn’t enough these days, as intruders will quite happily smash these open during a robbery. But in addition to alarm systems and CCTV, which are preventative and can help you identify the guilty parties, you may want to enlist the help of a security company, who can provide professional secure key-holding and patrol services too.

Security training

It is your duty to inform the workforce about exactly what security threats – and therefore potential dangers – exist. This can be achieved through training and tuition regarding security. Furthermore, employees should be able to identify suspicious behaviour and react to incidents in the most appropriate way possible as well. Only if they have the right knowledge will they be in a position to do this.

Emergencies procedures

Serious and violent crimes don’t bear thinking about, but it is important to have emergency procedures just in case the worst-case scenario occurs. This will include evacuation plans, well-stocked first aid kits and fully operational fire extinguishers as a minimum.

In-house prevention

Security threats aren’t just external, as members of staff can also commit crimes and steal from the business that they work for from time to time. Always check the references of your new recruits and carry out random checks too.

Reduce anonymity

If employees do not have nametags or identity cards, then they could get easily confused with criminals. But having these measures in place will ensure members of staff are separated from strangers should the worst case scenario occur!

Temporary workers and contractors

If your business regularly employs temporary workers or has contractors working on site, there should be a system in place to make sure they don’t pose a security threat. Again, background checks are highly advantageous while securing valuable items is never a bad idea either.

False sense of security

Your business may well be located in a safe and trouble-free area, but this won’t concern a criminal. Therefore, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security and always be vigilant against the potential threats your organisation faces.

So, is your business as safe and secure as it could be? After reading this list of protection and prevention measures, probably not! But for more help or advice on how to safeguard your assets and employees, contact Access Facilities Management today, an experienced and knowledgeable security company in Essex.