Top Tips to Keep Your Site Secure This Christmas
With Christmas just around the corner have you got provisions in place to ensure your Security systems continue running without a hitch over the Christmas shut down period?
Whether your business is shutting down for just a few days, or you’ve got a full 2 weeks off to look forward to, keeping your site secure should be high on your priority list to protect your assets and give you extra peace of mind.
Unfortunately trespassing, vandalism, theft, and other criminal activity often increases over Christmas when construction sites, schools and office buildings are known to be shut down for the period. Opportunistic criminals will target sites where they expect to find expensive equipment, often using the full 2 week shut down period to plan and execute theft from your site. The good news is there are many ways to improve your security and prevent any criminal activity ruining your Christmas break.
The first steps to a secure site over Christmas are to ensure you have the following in place:
- Security lighting that automatically activates at sundown
- Effective perimeter fencing
- CCTV and video surveillance camera systems
- Security alarms, ideally connected to an ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre) for reliable monitoring
- Security patrols
- Clear warning signage around the site
- Secure containers for any valuables
- Keeping heavy machinery or particularly valuable equipment in well lit areas monitored by surveillance cameras
Some of the above may seem like common sense, but it’s always worth checking as sometimes it’s the simplest security measures that get missed! Preventative measures like these are an easy way to deter would-be thieves all year round, but especially overnight and on weekends, bank holidays and through temporary seasonal shut downs.
Once you’ve checked off the above, have a read of our top tips for keeping your site secure this Christmas, and some of the key considerations to remember on the day of shut down:
- Make any needed changes to your keyholders and schedules before the shutdown
- Make sure your Security Systems have been maintained and are fully operational prior to the shutdown. Don’t leave it until your are ready to arm your systems to discover there may be a fault!
- Check that sites are fully locked up and covered by your CCTV, including cabins and plants. Also ensure that any tools are stored and locked away
- Make suitable arrangements to ensure that essential equipment (e.g. CCTV cameras) will remain operational throughout the period and is fully charged
- Before leaving, double check that there are no obstructions to your video surveillance systems – nothing blocking any static cameras or sensors that could affect monitoring coverage
- Reduce the risk of false alarms by securing any loose materials on-site
- For sites that manually arm/disarm, ensure that the site is armed when being shut down
- Keep in touch! If you need to make ASM aware of any emergency temporary changes please contact us with the details
Channel your inner Santa this shut down season and check the above list not once, but twice for peace of mind and a secure site throughout Christmas.
For further advice and information about keeping your Security systems running smoothly and your site secure all year round, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts at ASM. From installing effective and reliable surveillance and access control equipment, to maintaining and monitoring the security of your site, we’re here to help.