2020 was a difficult year for the entire world with many businesses struggling to know what the future held due to the chaos caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, 2021 is set to be a better year for businesses across the UK, despite the current nationwide lockdown, as the vaccine begins to be distributed and more people have the opportunity to return to their ‘normal lives’.
During the coming year, security will remain a huge consideration, particularly early on in the year as current restrictions look set to remain in place until the spring of 2021. We’ve put together the following security best practices to make sure your premises remain secure and to help you get ready for when business returns to normal.
Keeping your security equipment well maintained
It sounds obvious, but you would be surprised at how many businesses fail to keep their physical security equipment in good shape, allowing it to render useless when it’s most needed.
If you find yourself in a similar situation where you haven’t checked your security gates or barriers in a while, we recommend you do so, for the simple reason of it ensures everyone stays safe and can help reduce the risk of trespassers and theft.
There are some other great benefits to keeping your external security maintained which can save you in the long run. If you would like to understand more about the maintenance and care process for security barriers and gates, check out our handy guide of The Importance of Gate and Barrier Maintenance.
When was the last time you conducted a security risk assessment?
If the answer was sometime last year or beyond, a lot has changed in 2020, which has forced many businesses to re-think how they work and how they assess security risks. The actual process of conducting a security risk assessment can be somewhat of a chore – but it’s absolutely necessary.
Not only are you ensuring the wellbeing of your staff members and workers but you’re identifying the risks before they happen, saving you possibly thousands in damages. Making your employees aware of security risks within the workplace is another benefit of risk assessment, give you the opportunity to train staff and be more aware of potential hazards.
Don’t wait any longer if you want to reap the benefits of completing a security risk assessment. Our helpful guide on The Importance of Conducting a Security Risk Assessment will help you understand why it’s an important part of your business.
Never conducted a security risk assessment before? Now is the time to learn
In most cases businesses may reach out to external services for help with their security risk assessments but given the current circumstances, many businesses may find it easier to learn, train and understand how to conduct one themselves.
At Newgate, safety and security is a huge priority of ours, it’s what we do, which is why we wanted to put together a simple and easy to understand guide on how to perform a security risk assessment. It’s a chance for business owners to understand the space they work in, the stock they own and even their surrounding areas which can have an impact on the effectiveness of their security.
Keep your premises secure – even if you’re not there
With national lockdowns comes empty businesses, warehouses, offices, shops, you name it, people have had to lock their businesses doors and only return when it’s safe to do so. So how do you ensure your workplace is safe when it’s unoccupied?
Thankfully, there are solutions – security solutions. This is especially important if you have a large industrial site that occupies lots of land which you’re unable to monitor frequently. Access control systems and security barriers and gates are a great way to keep unauthorised visitors out and give you peace of mind that expensive tools, equipment and even vehicles have some form of protection.
Regardless of your businesses size, security is a no brainer and if you would like to understand more on how to protect your workplace, check out our blog on How to Keep Unoccupied Businesses Safe and Protected.
Do you know your businesses external vulnerabilities?
Most businesses have all the security they need inside but what about on the outside? If your business park or industrial site has a separate car park, these can quickly become a security risk if you don’t have the proper measures in place to prevent trespassing and unwanted visitors throughout the night or seasonal periods where businesses are mostly closed.
If you run a holiday park for example, there will be periods throughout the year where the peak is at it’s lowest and so the park may close for several weeks. Without the understand where your businesses vulnerabilities are, you could end up leaving your business open to theft and damages that could cost greatly.
Ensuring your commercial premises has the correct external security installed, whether that’s security gates, CCTV, access controls and even pedestrian gates, will provide you with a much better chance of deterring unwanted guests and keep any access points that were once vulnerable, protected.
Want to learn more? Take a look at our blog on How to Identify Vulnerabilities in your External Business Security.
For more information about any of our security systems or maintenance packages, please get in touch with the team at Newgate today to discuss your requirements.
