How do you manage the security of your business premises and the people you employee within it?
As a Key Holding and Alarm Response business, KeyPlus takes a look at the experiences of our clients and the thousands of call-outs we’ve responded to, to give you a quick guide to securing your business property.
Whether you rent or own the business property, you still have a practical and legal responsibility to secure your premises and to the health and safety of your employees. Which of the following security considerations have you acted on?
1. Prospecting and social monitoring predators
Whilst some break-ins are caused by chancers, many property and employee attacks take place after the would be thief or attacker has understood your daily routines. Consider changing the open and closing times by key holders and make sure they are never alone as they may be under surveillance.
2. Have you trained your employees in case of an emergency?
It’s easy to hand over a bunch of keys to an employee and pay them a little extra to be a key holder but would they really know what to do if they were called out? Identify dangers and minimise the risk of attack or injury. Consider hiring a Key Holding business to accompany them on a call out.
3. How long will it take you or an employee to get to site?
Who likes to receive a call in the middle of the night that requires them to get up and attend a potential security risk? Plan and consider how long the Key Holder will take to respond to an alarm activation plus the time taken before they start their journey. How long will that journey then take?
4. Who should enter a building? Is the building safe?
Is it safe for a lone worker to attend a building on their own? Consider how many employees you will need to attend an incident to ensure their health and safety is not at risk. How much would this cost the business?
5. What level of Police Response do you hold?
a) Level One – immediate response (subject to priorities).
b) Level Three – response withdrawn.
Level Three occurs as a result of three false calls to the police for intruder alarms or three from personal attack alarms in a twelve-month rolling period. To receive police response for a remotely monitored alarm system, any systems installed after June 2012 must conform to PD6662: 2010 and BS 8243. Make sure you have a back-up Key Holder response team in place, as they will respond no matter how many false alarms are triggered.
6. How will you secure vandalised or damaged premises?
Remember property is not only damaged by people, in many cases an alarm can be triggered by deteriorating buildings, water pipes, electrical faults or simply falling boxes. Consider who you can call out in a time of an emergency, including emergency glaziers, plumbers, locksmiths and electricians. Many Key holding companies already have a list of pre-approved suppliers and can take care of that for you.
7. How often do you update your key register and Key Holder details?
Long gone are the days of continued employment at just one company. Many businesses now experience high levels of staff turnover so how do you keep a record of how many keys have been cut for your property? How often do alarm codes change? Are regular timed processes varied and what is the de-commissioning process of a trusted key holder leaving your employment?
8. What does your insurance policy require?
Many businesses forget to maintain and adhere to strict business insurance policies relating to the protection of both property and employee liabilities. Does your alarm response and key holder process meet the requirements of your insurance company? Remember, as your business grows or shrinks your policies and level of compliance may change.
9. What is your Lone Worker policy and how do you protect them?
Many businesses fail to realise how many lone workers they employ. The HSE defines a Lone Worker as ‘those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision’. The law requires employers to consider carefully and then deal with health and safety risks of people working alone. So are your Key Holders or Alarm Response employees lone workers? Here’s an example of just a few lone workers: Drivers, Doctors, Cleaners, Sales Reps, Home helps, Social Workers and lone employees attending a call out.
10. Do you have the resource to consider these 10 practical examples and to act on them?
With the pressures of the day to day running of your business, do you have the resource and experience to manage your buildings securely? If not contact an SIA Approved Key Holding, Alarm Response and Patrol provider that can take this responsibility and pressure away from you, in many cases, from just £1 per day or less.
About KeyPlus Security Ltd
KeyPlus provides professional security services, including key holding, alarm response and mobile patrols for commercial, industrial and public sector premises along with residential properties. KeyPlus take care of your security needs with a 24-hour, 365 days a year service. Find out more at http://www.KeyPlus.co.uk
About the SIA Approved Contractor Scheme
The Private Security Industry Act 2001 requires the SIA to establish a “system of inspection for providers of security services, under which those organisations who satisfactorily meet the agreed standards may be registered as approved, and may advertise themselves as such”. Find out more at http://www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/Pages/acs-intro.aspx
