Not paying for warehouse security is like asking to be robbed.
Indeed, a few years ago, property crime led to $14.3 billion of losses in the United States.
That isn’t a statistic you want to contribute to.
Think of all the valuable stock, money, machinery and information being held on your premises. Failing to adhere to adequate security standards is a recipe for disaster!
The money you spend on security measures will pay for itself 100 times over if it prevents a robbery.
Clearly, it’s in your interest to keep your warehouse secure. But what are the best ways to do it? What steps can you take to prevent problems on your premises?
Keep reading to find out.
Securing Your Warehouse: 8 Ways to Stay Secure
Warehouse security is likely at the top of your list of priorities. If it isn’t, then it should be!
Here’s how to do it.
1. Risk Assess the Situation
Quality risk assessments are the cornerstone of your security needs.
The idea is simple. You look at the potential risks for your warehouse and put a plan in place to prepare.
Look at where you keep your valuables. Look at the most likely entry points. Put yourself in the mind of someone who might want to get into your warehouse, and take appropriate steps to protect yourself.
Similarly, you should consider the well-being of your employees. Think about exit routes, hazards, procedures, shutdown buttons, and personal protective equipment.
You need to have a response plan in place for worst case scenarios. Getting a professional company to do this for you is a good idea. It’s their job to assess the situation and recommend what to do.
2. Install CCTV
Closed circuit television is essential.
You need to be able to see what’s happening in your property. The video surveillance provides an invaluable record of events. It can help police find those responsible for a break-in.
Likewise, it will be essential proof to an insurance company that what you said happened, actually did. CCTV may even lower your premiums in the first place.
They work as an effective deterrent as well.
Video surveillance gives you your eyes back when you aren’t actually there. These cameras are now relatively quick, easy and cheap to install too. Place them at entry points and anywhere you may need to see.
3. Use a Motion Detection System
Motion detection systems are often central to warehouse security.
The premise is the same, though they come in different forms.
You’ve come across them in everyday life too. They work in the same way as light sensors in bathrooms. Open the door, enter the bathroom, and the light turns on for you automatically.
It’s the same for your warehouse. Essentially, a sensor gets triggered by movement, which leads to an action of some kind. Oftentimes that’s a spotlight or another form of motion-activated lighting. The sensor might then signal an alarm, send a direct message to authorities, or trigger a message to your phone.
4. Put Fencing Up
Does your warehouse have a large area surrounding it?
That constitutes a risk to security. It makes it more difficult to secure the entry points. Putting up some form of perimeter protection can reduce the chance of problems. After all, someone could literally just saunter up to your warehouse without a hassle.
A perimeter fence is an effective deterrent. Sure, fences aren’t impermeable, but they’re a reasonable first line of defense against intruders. That’s particularly true when combined with CCTV and some of the following ideas too…
5. Utilize Spotlights
Spotlights solve a basic desire of most intruders: to stay hidden.
It’s a brave burglar to attempt something in broad daylight.
Darkness in your warehouse is a great help in their bid to remain unseen and uncaught. Do yourself a favor and install spotlights in sensible places. Think doorways, courtyards, office spaces, and so on.
Likewise, think about spotlights in collaboration with your CCTV and motion sensors. Opting against a light may render your CCTV pointless unless it’s got night vision capabilities.
6. Employ Security Guards
There’s no replacement for having actual people in your warehouse to protect it.
Security guards are your eyes and ears on the ground. They can patrol the area, assess potential problems, and react to situations as they happen on site. Chuck a security dog or two into the mix and you’re onto a winner. You stop trouble before it even begins.
Most security companies can provide you with trained and vetted security personnel. That can save you the trouble of recruiting and training your own.
7. Don’t Forget the Internet
Your warehouse faces threats both online and offline.
Invest heavily in internet security and have adequate processes in place that account for modern IT threats.
For example, two-factor authentication is a new solution for computer password entry. Back in the day, people had a single password that never changed. Imagine that now! Your entire system is vulnerable. Know the password? Get access to everything.
With two-factor authentication, you need two passwords to gain entry. An initial password triggers a message that gets sent to you (often to a mobile phone). This contains an automatically generated second password that will give you access.
8. Test Your Way to Success
Did you know that banks employ people to rob them?
That’s right, they know they’re a target and plan accordingly. Banks actively recruit thieves and hackers to test the security measures and processes they have in place. It doesn’t matter whether that’s an actual robbery in person or done from behind a computer. They prepare for both.
The idea is to highlight any prevailing weak points. Thanking the robbers for their service, the banks then set about rectifying the problem and securing themselves properly.
Aim for the same approach with your warehouse! Effective security is about regularly testing the safety measures you’ve put in place. Run scenarios, ensure your CCTV works, check your alarms function, etc, etc.
Time to Wrap Up
There you have it: 8 ways of securing your warehouse.
Warehouse security offers a relatively cheap solution to a potentially expensive problem. Your premises are full of valuable items and information. Presumably, you want to keep it all safe.
Hopefully, the information above has given you some ideas on how to do exactly that.
Are you looking for help with your security needs? Contact us today to see how we can be of assistance.