Workplace security is the level of security a company provides for its employees, equipment, goods, buildings or sites. Having workplace security is the process of ensuring employees are protected from illness or injury and the workplace (offices, factories or warehouses etc.) are secure and protected against break-ins.
It’s important to take your workplace security seriously, as not having the right systems in place can have major knock-on effects to the rest of your business. For instance, a loss of stock, equipment and materials from theft can affect your profits, product deliverability and customer satisfaction. In addition, a sequence of injuries to staff could leave employees feeling unsafe, vulnerable and looking for a new job.
In the last year, the Health and Safety Executive reported 38.3 million working days were lost due to work-related illness or injures with an estimated cost of £16.2 billion.
A business is responsible for its workplace security and providing its employees with a certain level of safety when they are at work.
There are many ways in which you can improve your business’ workplace security and overall safety. Not only will this increase the safety and security of your workplace, but it will also improve overall business efficiency, employee morale and satisfaction as well as company trust.
Read on to discover the key systems you can implement to protect your organisation and improve workplace security.
Installing a CCTV system on business premises has a number of benefits. Not only will it catch any intruders or trespassers on vide
o, but it can also help identify criminals, catch suspicious behaviour and identify weak points in your current security systems.
A CCTV system will also help to deter criminals from breaking into your premises. It acts as a huge deterrent as it increases the likelihood of intruders getting caught and brought to justice. CCTV systems are therefore an easy and effective way to improve your workplace security and make your employees feel safer.
Aside from preventing break-ins, CCTV cameras can also be used to identify risks in current business practises or in employee behaviour, especially if staff are operating machinery or tools. The CCTV footage can be used in evidence if an incident did occur and this will improve the sense of safety within your workforce.
Installing a high-quality working alarm system at your business premises is an easy way to improve your current workplace security. Firstly, it will act as a deterrent against break-ins and intruders, therefore decreasing the likelihood of your business becoming a target, which will then improve the overall sense of safety for your employees. Secondly, it will help to stop intruders in their tracks and retreat from the scene.
There is also the option to upgrade your alarm system to be monitored. This gives a security provider the responsibility of monitoring your system for triggers. When one occurs, they will action an immediate response on your behalf. This provides an efficient and effective response time from the emergency services and therefore an increase in your workplace security.
BusinessWatch offers a 5* monitoring package for businesses across all sectors. Get in touch here for a free, no-obligation quotation.
Electronic access control systems are much more sophisticated than simple swipe cards for entry. Control the different levels of personnel access to one or multiple sites, giving you vast control on who can enter the workplace.
This is particularly beneficial for areas of high risk to theft. By controlling the number of people who enter, you are also reducing the likelihood of theft and increasing your overall workplace security.
Adding gates and barriers to your workplace is a great way to instantly improve the overall workplace security. Not only does it add an extra layer of protection from intruders, but it also means you can control who enters the premises and gives you greater control of who is onsite at a given time.
Automated gates and barriers are an even more secure option as they can be automatically locked and opened, therefore giving you peace of mind that all gates and barriers are locked when they are meant to be.
Introducing physical security in the form of security guards to your workplace will not only improve overall security but will also improve the perceived sense of security in the workplace.
Employees will feel safer and confident that they are protected, as well as the knowledge that if an incident did occur, a security guard could be on hand.
Your security guard strategy can be completely bespoke. You could have security guards in working or out of working hours and use them for carrying out vacant property inspections, mobile patrols as well as responding to an alarm response.
In addition to the systems that can improve workplace security, many processes that can improve it too. Improve your security from the top and relay it down to all your employees. Keep reading to discover the best processes to improve your workplace security.
Establishing written employee responsibilities for every employee is a simple way to ensure every individual knows what security measures they are responsible for. This then avoids key actions getting missed or forgotten or shifting the blame and responsibility to someone else.
Making sure your employees are up to date on the latest training is incredibly important, in terms of workplace security and employee safety. Training to a high and the latest standards will ensure all employees know how to carry out necessary procedures appropriately, resulting in fewer accidents and incidents.
An important process when improving your workplace security is to develop an emergency plan. An emergency plan is a process of planning and preparing for a disaster. It ensures that the business will survive and recover if an emergency or disaster did occur and therefore when set up improves workplace security longterm.
Items included in an emergency plan include: establishing an evacuation plan, keeping a list of emergency contact details, protecting important business records and backing up important data and software.
Establishing strict access control procedures in a vital process in improving workplace security. It is easy for measures to lapse, especially when team members are close and know each other well.
However, it is important to not let procedures slip and reiterate to your employees the importance of secure access control. For example, if someone does not have a key card, even if they are known well by the business, they should not be allowed to enter the building without senior approval.
Don’t forget that workplace security expands to health and safety too. Carrying out regular checks and inspections of properties, sites and buildings are important to ensure that the structure and overall workplace is a safe place to be.
Your level of workplace security relies heavily on the workings of your security systems. It is therefore vital that they are in constant working order and receive regular maintenance checks to avoid any system faults, downtime and thus compromised security.
BusinessWatch is an NSI Gold approved security provider with over 20 years of experience in the industry. We offer full installation, monitoring and maintenance of multiple security system types and have an in-house design team to create bespoke systems that are tailored to you and your business needs.
Get in touch today and see how we can improve your workplace security. Phone us on 0330 094 7404 for a free, no-obligation quotation.
