A comprehensive commercial security system is an essential part of running your business, regardless of its size. As part of your system, however, it’s important to establish safety and security policies.
These will ensure that your customers and employees are kept safe, as well as prevent the loss of valuable products, equipment, and supplies.
There are many different aspects to creating safety and security policies. Here are a few things to consider when designing them for your business.
5 Things to Remember When Establishing Safety and Security Policies at Your Business
1. Do An Overall Assessment to Determine What Needs to Be Protected
It’s essential to walk through your business to evaluate what assets you have that need protecting. This includes identifying exterior doors and windows that could be used as entry points for thieves, as well as making notes of sensitive areas of your business that need to be off-limits to customers or only accessible to specific employees. Safety and security policies should also be put in place to help protect against cybersecurity threats to digital assets and sensitive data.
2. Utilize Smart Devices and Access Control
Years ago, many business owners used traditional keyed locks and gave keys to trusted employees. This can prove to be a risky security strategy, as keys can be lost, misplaced, stolen, or disappear when an employee no longer works for the business.
Today, many companies utilize access control devices as one of their safety and security policies. This means that there are no keys to lose. It also means that business owners can keep track of who comes and goes from the building at any time of day or night. These devices can also be programmed to only allow specific employees (or certain employees during certain times). This is helpful in a business like a pharmacy that sells controlled substances that are frequently the target of thieves.
3. Make Cybersecurity a Priority
As people increasingly rely on “smart” devices that are connected to the internet, enterprising hackers and cyber thieves are taking advantage of increased opportunities to hack in to wreak havoc, gain sensitive information, or even gain physical access to the premises being controlled by a smart door lock, for example.
This is of particular concern to business owners, and it’s one of the reasons why it’s essential to work with a team of professionals when installing a commercial security system. They’ll help ensure that all smart devices — from door locks to thermostats and beyond — are well-protected from cybersecurity threats such as BlueTooth and Wi-Fi hackers.
4. Develop an Emergency Evacuation Plan
Creating safety and security policies is one of the five keys to a successful business security plan. Another one of those keys is preparing for a disaster. An emergency evacuation plan is one policy that no business should be without.
Your evacuation plan should cover any natural disaster or emergency that could potentially happen in your area, whether you live in a place that’s prone to earthquakes and wildfires or if you live in a coastal area that gets hit with hurricanes. Fires, active shooter situations, and medical emergencies are other events that should be covered in these types of plans.
5. Use Proper Training to Put Everyone on the Same Page
Business safety and security policies are no good if no one actually uses them. This is why it’s important to make them part of every employee’s training. From not sharing or giving out access control or digital device passwords to having a good understanding of what to do if an emergency strikes, taking the time to train your employees on safety and security policies in advance will help protect all of your assets — both human and otherwise — should something unexpected happen.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions, and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
