Paul Haynes, Operations Director at Key Control Services Limited
01204 861 331 | paul@kcssecurity.com
25th March 2020
Protect Your Premises After The Coronavirus Shutdown
We are now sadly reading news that many properties are being broken into following the Government’s announcement for certain types of businesses to temporarily close their premises.
This is a worrying time on all fronts, particularly for business owners and directors.
Here at Key Control Services, we can offer some advice and guidance to help businesses to protect their premises or at least reduce the probability of attacks on unoccupied premises.
We recommend the following list of actions to take as a matter of urgency if you have had to close your premises:
- Test your security alarm to make sure it is in full working operation. If you don’t have your alarm monitored, please consider doing so. Key Control Services can advise on some general options, although we don’t install alarm systems ourselves.
- Think about the entry and exit points of your premises. Are they vulnerable to a break-in? If so, invest in removing these vulnerable points.
- Make sure that security gates, bollards and fire exit doors have been secured prior to closure of the premises.
- Ensure service doors are closed and locked when not in use.
- Make sure you have a list of key holders who can be contacted in times of emergency and update the contact details for these keyholders. (Key Control acts as keyholders for x businesses across Greater Manchester. If you want someone other than members of your staff to take this responsibility we can help from a very affordable £1 per day i.e. £365 a year. In case of any potential break-in, we can then obviously follow up and check your premises – without the anxiety of your staff having to do this in the middle of the night or at weekends).
- Try to move high value items out of sight and preferably into secured stockrooms.
- Don’t leave any keys to your premises or keys for other locations in your premises. Give them to your dedicated key holders.
- Think about lighting on the inside of your premises. Consider installing timer switches. It also helps to leave lighting on in external spaces such as yards, car parks and loading areas, too. (If you need a ‘security assessment’ of your premises, give us a call. We can give you a full, detailed report to ensure best practice, specific to the needs of your business and premises, can be implemented to give you peace of mind and reduce the probability of a break-in and all the potential stress and cost that that can lead to).
- Ensure there are no materials left in or outside your premises which could be set on fire. We’ve already seen cars and other vehicles set alight in recent days by vandals across Greater Manchester and other parts of the country.
- Ensure that your CCTV is working correctly and provides good quality images in the event of a break-in. It goes without saying that CCTV should cover as much of the inside and exterior of your property as possible. CCTV providers can now often provide a mobile app for customers to view anyone if they break-in to your premises and allow you to speak directly to an intruder. (Key Control Services does not provide CCTV but we can direct you to specialist providers).
- Again, don’t leave any cash on the premises and leave clear notes on the external doors to say that no cash or valuables are kept overnight. If you must keep valuables on the premises, lock them in a security accredited safe bolted to the floor.
Key Control Services Ltd provides vacant property security by inspecting all access points, including doors, windows and conservatories. We have dozens of clients that we do this for on a regular basis.
We report any damage or vandalism, record meter readings, if required, and consult and advise clients on ways to prevent any potential issues occurring.
If you have any questions or concerns about how to strengthen the security of your unoccupied premises in the event of an enforced closure due to the coronavirus shutdown, we’d be happy to help.
Please call us on 01204 861 331 or email enquiries@kcssecurity.com.
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