Many local businesses have had to close their business premises down because there is no one that can safely work there whilst COVID-19 in is full force across the UK, with employers and employees being advised to work from home wherever possible. This has led to a warning from local police and the Government to ensure that all commercial premises are appropriately secured. 

Vacant premises can quickly become a prime target for intruders and vandals, particularly if expensive machinery, technology or tools are left on-site without supervision. It is vital that you ensure your security measures are up to date, and are effective in deterring and preventing theft, damage or harm. The inclusion of CCTV Chester and other security measures should be enough to secure your premises, and will keep your business safe throughout lockdown, and when staff start to return to the premises.

Closed Down

Most commercial businesses will have some form of security measures in place, but even in normal circumstances these might not be a sufficient enough deterrent and that is generally when a building is maybe only locked down for a weekend at the most. Here are some ideas on how to protect your building longer term and reduce your risk further:

Change your access control privileges - so that you only have those who need to access to possess that ability. Your staff need to be very trustworthy, but if they were to lose or misplace their access card that could end up in the hands of opportunistic thieves and they could have free reign without raising suspicion. Revoke access to those who don’t need to have it.

CCTV - you need your CCTV system to show key areas and enable you to have remote viewing. Checking those feeds on a regular basis to make sure that nothing is impeding your views during the time when there isn’t anyone on site. 

Motion sensor lights - if you have outside lights at your premises, ensure that they are either on all night or are motion sensor lights, this makes opportunistic thieves hesitant as it exposes them.

Returning to Site

Most businesses will be able to stagger the return of their staff but there are some security measures that you can put in place to help in addition to the up-to-date Government guidelines when it comes to the cleaning and social distancing elements. These solutions will enable your business to adjust to the ‘new normal’:

Temperature screening - you can get thermal cameras which are able to detect elevated skin-surface temperatures. They can be utilised for rapid and preliminary temperature screening in office buildings, factories, airports and other public spaces. Ensuring you are aware about your staff’s health can help minimise the risk to other staff members being exposed to any potential virus in the future.

Smart doors - allow authorised entry with remote access to support business continuity, and lone worker monitoring whilst adhering to social distancing protocols. 

Touch free entry/exit - you can get a touch-free terminal which will allow your staff to enter a building, record attendance without having to touch a terminal or gate. The touch-free nature of the terminal makes access easier and safer, and they are suitable for long-term use.