6 cast iron improvements you can make to your company’s physical security

by Graham McMonigle

There’s an old saying in security that a site doesn’t have to be impregnable to deter burglars, just less ‘pregnable’ than the site next door.

With that in mind, we’ve taken our 30 plus years of experience in securing sites to put together a list of six tips for concerned business owners.

1. Nothing beats the human eyeball for spotting possible criminal intent, so we always advocate monitored CCTV systems. A basic system can easily be upgraded by automated notifications sent to the camera monitors, such as; out-of-hours movement detection or invisible boundary lines set in the system to alert operators to trespassers. We can readily set them up to send images to a mobile device, removing the need for a control room.
2. A National Security Inspectorate (NSI) approved intruder alarm is a solid underpinning for any security solution. Again, we can set the alerts to remote monitoring and even provide video link-ups to aid with real-time identification.
3. CCTV is great for remote eyes-on, but what about ears-on? With audio monitoring, notifications can be set for noises above a certain decibel level, or set always to “on”, to allow operators to hear unusual sounds, like breaking glass or screams.
4. Fire alarms seem like a simple precaution that all businesses are legally obliged to have as standard, but it’s frightening how many neglect this basic precaution. Of course, not all fire alarms are the same: we provide comprehensive systems that can monitor heat and smoke, zoned throughout the premises and all done by remote monitoring.
5. Flooding can be a real concern, especially for building with older plumbing, or in risk areas. Flood monitoring systems, however, can give you more than just early warning. They can reduce insurance premiums while providing businesses with greater control.
6. Finally, the audio broadcast option on all CCTV and monitoring systems can permit a set of pre-recorded notifications to be sent, either when conditions are met, or when triggered by an operator. Messages, such as repetitions of the fire assembly points, letting trespassers know the police are on their way, or that flooding is occurring in a particular room, and the location of the relevant stopcock, can be set up. Any or all of them can and turn a potential crisis into a very minor drama.

Graham McMonigle is a Director at VWS and can be contacted on 01236 727233 or email grahamm@vwsip.co.uk.