Ensuring that your business offers a safe and secure environment is a requirement under UK law, as the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) states that all business owners have a responsibility for the welfare of their employees and customers, as far as is reasonable.
Part of this responsibility involves making sure that employees have a safe workplace in which to operate. Maintaining effective security procedures also helps to deter theft and safeguard sensitive company information from corporate espionage or sabotage.
If you’re an owner of a small business, you may be wondering just how likely your business is to be a victim of crime. Well, the 2021 Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) found that 38% of businesses reported crimes in the year April 2020 - March 2021. But in fact, the actual figure is likely much higher, due to underreporting of minor thefts and vandalism offences.
How well protected is your business against the most common crimes? Let’s outline them and explain how security technologies can keep you safe.
1. Theft And Burglary
According to the CVS 2021, theft was the most common criminal offence committed against businesses, with 27% of respondents having reported at least one theft offence in the past year.
And when combined with the statistics on burglary, over 1/3 of all crime committed against businesses was theft or burglary related. Theft was also the most frequently recorded crime, with 11% of businesses experiencing at least one theft daily.
Theft and burglary can also be a predisposing factor for further criminal attacks; criminals are more likely to retarget a business that has been successfully targeted before - especially when the security protections may be damaged by a previous intruder.
To protect against theft and burglary, consider hiring a security expert to conduct a risk assessment, an analysis of any weak points on your premises, and a survey of any environmental hazards that may create a security vulnerability.
Seeking the advice of an expert – and actioning the guidance they give you – will go a long way to greatly reducing the number of thefts and burglaries your business is subjected to.
2. Vandalism And Criminal Damage
Vandalism is a frequently underreported crime, but nearly every business has experienced criminal damage to its property at some point.
While vandalism is generally considered a low-level crime, it can cost businesses thousands of pounds in repairs, and some types of criminal damage - such as arson - may be serious and can put staff and members of the public at risk.
As with theft, vandalism can create security vulnerabilities if security equipment is damaged -thereby leaving your business at risk of further crimes. Some vandals may also use tagging to mark businesses that are easily exploited for criminal gangs to return to later.
Installing CCTV systems and ensuring rigorous access controls is a simple way to deter criminals from damaging your property, and to capture any potential perpetrators on film so that you can report them to the police.
3. Tailgating
Tailgating is when an unauthorised individual follows an authorised member of staff into restricted areas. This can lead to your business being exposed to a variety of potential crimes, from offences such as data theft and fraud, to potentially dangerous activities such as terrorism and arson.
To guard against this, businesses can use anti-tailgating doors, which are an effective solution.
However, these doors may be expensive for small businesses.
A cheaper solution would be to deliver comprehensive security training to all employees, and to ensure that staff members are issued with ID cards that have their pictures on and are worn in a visible position at all times.
4. Unaccounted Visitors
If somebody is inside your building, but you don’t know where they are or what they are doing, how do you ensure the security of your building and its occupants?
Unaccounted visitors may pose a risk during a fire, as they will not be on your staff register, and will be difficult to track throughout the building. And without knowing the actions or whereabouts of your visitors, they could even be performing illegal activities right under your nose.
The simplest way to prevent security vulnerabilities from unaccounted visitors is to ensure that all visitors are issued with an ID card when they enter the premises.
Using CCTV systems and access controls will also help you to pinpoint the precise location of authorised visitors, enabling you to find them quicker and more easily in the event of an emergency.
5. ID Card Theft
Employees have been known to share ID cards if their use is not properly monitored or if security training is not given. They may also have a lax attitude towards the safekeeping of ID cards, meaning that they can easily be lost.
If your business chooses to use ID cards, they should be combined with rigorous security training for employees and effective management to ensure that employees have their ID cards on them at all times.
In addition, whenever an employee leaves your company their ID cards should be promptly deactivated. This will prevent unauthorised people from acquiring the cards and using them to access your premises.
Want to use top-class technology to protect your business against criminals? Give us a call!