It’s that time of year when many businesses are getting
ready for their Christmas shutdown.
Whilst the focus will primarily be on finishing outstanding jobs prior
to the festive break there is one element that often gets overlooked – securing
the business property over Christmas.
Many businesses will be closing on Christmas Eve and not
opening again until 5th January. Would-be thieves may see this as the ideal opportunity to break in, cause
damage and steal expensive items of equipment such as computers.
What then can you do to protect your business property over
the festive break?
· Lock it
up – it goes without saying that you need to lock up your premises before
you leave, but in the Christmas excitement and with the prolonged break from
work, it is more important than ever. Your
window and door locks should meet British Safety Standards (if you’re worried
that they don’t now would be a good time to check). Make sure that all doors, windows and roller shutters are locked and that no keys are left on view before you lock the
building up for Christmas.
·
Light it
up – we’ll all be busy decking the halls and trees with lights over the
coming weeks but there’s no need to leave your business property out. We don’t mean fairy lights either but
security lights. When the building is
shut at night, over the weekend or during the holidays, security lighting,
which is set to come on when anyone approaches the building, should act as a
deterrent to would-be-thieves, especially when combined with CCTV systems.
·
Hide it
away – just as you would at home over Christmas, it is important to keep
valuables hidden from view in your commercial property. If you have window blinds or curtains, ensure
these are closed before you lock up so that potential thieves cannot see what
is on the inside. Keys, cash and other
valuable items should be stored away in a safe place and any computer equipment
that can be moved from view should be.
The more difficult you can make it for potential intruders
to see inside your property, the more effective your security will be as not
only will they be unsure about the value of items inside but they won’t be able
to see what security systems you have in place.
This is in itself should act as a powerful deterrent.
Retail security
If you operate in the retail industry then this will be your
busiest time of year. However, it is
important to spend some time ensuring your property is safe, not just when your
shop is closed for the evening but also during opening hours as would-be
pickpockets will be on the lookout for easy opportunities at this time of
year. Make sure that your staff can see customers
at all times and that window displays do not completely block their view of the
street.
It pays to be prepared at Christmas, especially if you don’t
want to face the unexpected costs of replacing stolen items and repairing
damage from forced entry in the New Year.
Have a safe and happy Christmas!
