How to reduce the risk of theft at your business premises
Did you know there were over 3 million incidents of theft estimated in England and Wales for the year ending June 2021? With financial pressures being felt by businesses and in turn consumers, the drive for criminals to break in and enter your commercial building will be greater than ever before.
It is sound business practice to review and assess your risk of theft as your business changes and vulnerabilities are exposed. Reducing the attractiveness of your premises to thieves not only helps to prevent theft but can minimise the risk of associated losses, such as property damage resulting from theft attempts.
When thinking about theft, we often talk about ‘layering’ with regards to buildings.
The first layer of a building
This is the outer fence or wall, and gates. This is where your first line of defence needs to be considered for its integrity. CCTV, intruder alarms and warning signage offer a sound level of protection when coupled with a solid physical structure.
The middle layer of a building
The middle layer is the outer wall of your premises, doors, windows and shutters. As well as robust locks on openings, care also needs to be taken to train staff with a rigid ‘locking up’ procedure in place so careless mistakes do not happen. Plus, housekeeping needs to be trained in staff to not leave stock or valuable equipment where it is accessible or in view.
The inner layer of a building
The inner layers would be internal walls, safes, cabinets, locked inner rooms etc. Once a thief is inside your business premises how easy is it to access important documents, products and equipment? Safes, locks and hidden places within your building can safeguard your business.
Ensuring that each of those layers is as robust as it can be, while still ensuring your business can function, will minimise the risk of physical access to your building/stock. Management controls, such as controlling keys and codes, monitoring maintenance, undertaking appropriate checks on employees will all reduce the risk of theft on your business premises.