ACC Security share their top tips for businesses to stay secure over Easter weekend and the spring-summer bank holidays.
Easter is the first of the new season of bank holidays each year, with the double hit of Good Friday and Easter Monday seeing many businesses shut up shop for a four-day stretch – and with the lighter evenings and warmer weather too, that can leave some at risk from unwanted intruders
Securing your premises is not just a smart move for Easter, either, with the May and Spring bank holidays coming within a matter of weeks, and more long weekends to follow over the course of the summer.
If you are a small business and likely to close for a week or more to take a holiday, then again, preventing burglaries should be a priority as part of your overall site security, with technologies like access control, CCTV and intruder alarms all on your side in keeping unwanted individuals out of your property while you are away.
Access control – who’s in while you’re out?
Modern access control technology not only allows you to give access to authorised individuals while you are away; it also means you can tell exactly who has been in and out of the building when you return.
Each staff member receives a unique entry PIN code or a key fob that means if they enter the building when you are not there, it will be on record.
This means you don’t run the risk of having many sets of identical door keys out there – and if a fob is lost or a PIN number becomes public knowledge for any reason, you can deactivate them quickly without compromising the rest of your security.
It’s a great way to flexibly provide secure access to authorised individuals while you are away, even by creating temporary PIN numbers that you can revoke when you return, and all without putting extra copies of your door keys into circulation.
CCTV – keep an eye on things
CCTV has been a valuable addition to site security for many years, from back in the days of analogue cameras connected to video cassette recorders, but like the transition from VHS to DVD to online streaming of movies, CCTV has also undergone a similar evolution over the decades.
When you install a modern digital camera system, or adapt an existing CCTV system, you are able to log in and watch live footage over the internet, from a computer or even a compatible smartphone, and that means if you’re planning to go away for the Easter weekend, a bank holiday city break or even a longer holiday, you can still check your premises by sight from anywhere with internet access, and at any time of day or night.
Remember to make sure your premises are properly covered by camera viewpoints, not only including all external doorways and entry points, but also any large windows that could be used to gain access. Our team can help you to plan your camera coverage to make it as strong as possible.
Intruder alarms – a deterrent in the dark
An alarm system in itself is an effective deterrent, making your premises less appealing to opportunistic thieves, and alerting passers-by or the police to any attempts to gain unauthorised access. Just the sound of an alarm going off will make many thieves leave immediately, and more than half of all burglaries of alarmed premises are unsuccessful.
You don’t have to rely just on an audible alarm, either – bright spotlighting and floodlighting, combined with motion sensors, will not only disorientate a would-be burglar on a dark night, but can also make sure your CCTV cameras get a clear look at them on their way out.
Together, modern security systems help to keep out unauthorised individuals, let in the authorised ones, and monitor who’s gaining access around the clock – giving you complete visibility of your premises while you’re away enjoying a hard-earned break.
