How to crime-proof your workplace
Offices, shops, and factories everywhere are becoming increasingly vulnerable to an expanding variety of non-violent and violent crimes - pilfering, shoplifting, vandalism, burglary, embezzlement, insurance fraud, arson, assault, even murder - Just how far a security-conscious organisation can go without upsetting employees or losing customers is the question facing most companies today. Is it time for you to become more security conscious?
1. Develop and distribute a security policy.
What type of environment fosters productivity for employees, openness for customers, and protection of the business from fraud, theft, and harm? This should be the basis of joint management-employee discussions in the process of preparing a security statement for your organisation. Having developed a statement, hold employee meetings to discuss reasons for the policy and ask for possible improvements or changes. Disseminate the final document.
2. Train your employees to be security-conscious.
Contrary to popular belief, your staff will not inherently know what they should do and how they should act to protect your business assets. You need to create performance standards to define the parameters of their jobs, inculcate honest work habits, and educate them in the basics of security relating to your organisation, e.g:
- the swift and certain consequences for dishonest employees.
- how to recognise and report all suspicious behaviour.
- awareness of personal security - such as after-hours safety and valuables.
- an anonymous in-house system for reporting possible crimes.
- the economics of crime and how it can affect pay-packets.
- the purpose of working in pairs in certain sensitive work areas.
- what to do if a break-in is discovered.
- what to observe when a crime takes place.
3. Protect your premises.
Whatever assets a business possesses, someone can always be tempted to steal them. To thwart overt and covert criminal theft or damage, you'll need to protect your premises. Consider the following precautions for starters:
- Keep all supplies areas locked.
- Use deadlocks throughout.
- Improve external lighting.
- Install movement sensor alarms.
- Install closed-circuit TV cameras in hard-to-see areas.
- Keep curtains closed.
- Re-key locks frequently.
- Reduce excess inventory.
- Limit the number of entrances and exits.
- Post signs outlining security and prosecution policies.
- Provide patrols in vulnerable areas.
- Seek neighbours' help in security awareness.
