Safety and security will always be the number one priority of any business owner. This is especially true for offices or businesses that need to take stock of employee and visitor items. Some workplaces prohibit bringing in outside items that might disrupt the technical aspect of the business’s operations or, simply, its flow. The safety and security concern a business owner or even a visitor may have would be about the items stored as theft can be an issue in any business, big or small.
Although it pays to be vigilant at all times, there’s no sure-fire way to prevent theft in the office. Sometimes, it’s your job to prevent it. Loss of items may, at times, result in a loss of trust to the employee responsible for keeping them, and, more problematically, from the visitors leaving them. Fortunately, there are ways to alleviate the chance and possibility of theft or losses. These include the following:
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Electronic Locking System
Office spaces can either adopt a cubicle or an open concept style. In a cubicle space, you’re often boxed into your own space within the office, preventing you from looking out and others from looking in. In an open concept, on the one hand, people can see you at all times, as well as where you store your wallet, phone, and even your car keys.
Having a locking mechanism is a must to increase your workspace’s security. If you have a designated space or cubicle, you won’t be able to see if someone is in there. Hence, you won’t be able to see if someone is taking your things. Putting a lock on them prevents the need to look and see if anyone is taking your things. Same with an open concept area, even if the location of your employees’ or visitors’ items is revealed, it won’t matter as the drawer, locker, or storage area is locked electronically.
However, padlocks or traditional locks can easily be destroyed or forgotten. What if your employees forgot to lock their lockers or lost the keys? Installing an electronic locker system eliminates those worries.
Modern electronic locks provide you with multiple options. Some use the reliable keypad system or RFID, while some expensive models use fingerprint or face scanners to confirm identity. Other types of locks, like in banks, are coded to lock or unlock only at a specified time. In fact, some desk locks are camouflaged to work with your office space, providing you with utmost security, without taking away the aesthetics of the area.
For visitors, you can install lockers in the receiving area. These lockers can provide them with a unique password or RFID to ensure the safety of their belongings.
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Security Cameras
Modern technology has truly been a partner for business owners. Camera quality and affordability make using security cameras more reasonable to them. With security cameras, you can easily see any theft taking place Catching the criminal will be easy for you.
Security cameras don’t only provide support after the incident. You can also use them as a deterrent, scaring away would-be thieves. Knowing you have security cameras increases their chances of getting caught. Moreover, customers are more likely to leave their belongings in your care because they know that your personnel manning them are monitored via CCTV. Thus, your customers will be satisfied entering your business premises.
To ensure you utilize the cameras to their fullest capabilities, you can place them in the most vulnerable spots of your business premises. These include:
- Employee and visitor locker areas
- Reception
- Hallways
- Entrance
- Exits
- Fire escapes
- Vehicle parking area
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Restrict Access
The main point of restricting access is to ensure that unwanted persons don’t venture into areas they aren’t supposed to. This reduces the probability of would-be thieves accessing areas that contain valuable items.
You can give individuals access levels through key cards, ensuring no one can enter any area without proper key card authorization.
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Security Personnel
The tried and tested method of ensuring safety and security will always be given to the security guards. You can’t disregard the effectiveness of an actual person checking stored items at all times. Hiring someone skilled and trustworthy to safeguard visitor and employee items reduces the number of people you need to investigate when something goes missing, as well as offsets any weaknesses your security system currently holds.
Furthermore, when a thief enters your business’s premises, they’ll simply be deterred by the mere presence of a security guard. In order to maximize this advantage, you should assign security guards to high-traffic exits and entrances, as well as the areas that hold the most important items.
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Information Utilization
Information is the most useful tool anyone can hold. Providing ample information to your employees on a regular basis strengthens your business’s ability to provide security and safety. This will deter any employee that may have had unsavory ideas. Showing them your robust security will dismay any individual of even thinking of stealing.
This can also be done for your visitors. For small business owners, you can provide signages and small information boards to assure your good visitors of your security’s capabilities. This will also dismay your bad visitors from even attempting. Simple CCTV signs usually do the trick. For large companies, you can give visitors a short orientation before they enter your company’s premises.
Disseminating information is an important tool, but you shouldn’t forget the power of taking in information. Sometimes, even a logbook will help you keep track of the names and faces of visitors and guests. This gives you an abundance of information to check in the future, in case one of your visitors’ or employees’ belongings went missing.
Conclusion
Investing in security doesn’t only take money, but time as well. You must be prepared to make the sacrifice of shelling out these resources to ensure a safer and more secure working environment. The benefits of a safe and secure workplace may not be clear early on. However, you’ll reap the benefits of a rooted front: the trust you’ll gain from your employees, visitors, and customers.
