In a year when the economy and politics gave business owners plenty of new things to worry about, the age-old issue of crime by no means went away. According to the official statistics, there were 423,000 instances of burglary in England and Wales between June 2016 and June 2017, and 187,000 of those were at non-domestic properties.
On top of that, statistics show there were over 6,000 instances of robbery from a business property, and 377,000 instances of shoplifting.
Crimes such as these have a whole range of impacts – loss of stock, damage to property, and plenty of lost time spent dealing with the issue, whether that’s from a practical standpoint, or providing support to staff that have been affected by an incident.
But there are plenty of preventative steps you can take to help make your site much more burglar-proof, and we think it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Here are our tips for improving on-site security at industrial and commercial properties, particularly when you don’t have staff present overnight.
Sturdy doors and locks
While wood and glass make for a nicer aesthetic, sometimes you just can’t compromise – sturdy, steel security doors that are built to resist attempts to gain entry. Something that can even stand up to a ram raid, should it have to.
Security doors don’t just come in drab greys, either – most can be finished in a huge range of colours, for excellent security that blends in nicely with the rest of your building’s facade.
If you’re choosing a sturdier door, make sure it has the locks to match – anti-bump and anti-pick locks can add extra resistance to unwanted visitors.
Protect your windows
If you’re a public-facing business, and an industrial look would be a bit too unwelcoming, then there are plenty of other options for security – whether that’s security roller shutters or grilles and grates.
Roller shutters create a highly secure barrier for windows, and can be installed over doors as well, adding a double layer of security over the top of your study external door.
However, for commercial and retail businesses, it can be important for people to be able to see through your windows, even when your closed. Or, if your building is particularly large, roller shutters might not be practical for every single window.
In these cases, you may want to consider security grilles for your windows – they can prevent break-ins, but still let you show off what’s inside to passing potential customers.
Alarms
Aside from providing an essential alert in the event of a break-in, alarms act as a huge deterrent – a study into behaviour of burglars found that 60% of burglars will seek out a different target if a property is alarmed.
But that’s not 100% – so making sure your alarm is working properly is essential. The last person out of the building should be setting the alarm every day, with specific people responsible for making sure this is done – don’t just assume it’ll get done.
CCTV
Cameras act as almost as big a deterrent as alarms, according to the aforementioned study – between 50 and 60% of burglars consider cameras to be an effective deterrent.
Signage
If you’ve got alarms and CCTV, don’t be shy about it – signs telling people they’re being watched, and that they can expect a lot of noise if they go any further, are a very important part of the deterrent – with almost 40% of burglars seeing a sign as part of an effective deterrent.
Perimeter fences
Data from that same study we mentioned above found that use of a vehicle is common in most burglaries – otherwise, they’d have to haul things away by hand. If you’re able to, perimeter fences or barricades such as bollards can be essential for keeping unwelcome vehicles away from your premises.
Spotlights
Finally, outdoor lighting, whether motion sensitive or always on, are a relatively cost-effective deterrent for any property. If a potential intruder is worried they will be seen, then they’re less likely to attempt a break-in.
If you’re interested in improving the security at your premises, we can help – we design, manufacture and install security doors, shutters and gates to your building’s exact specifications – so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions!
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