With the vast majority of business premises now closed across the UK, as a result of the COVID-19 ‘lockdown’, the Anabas security division is offering security advice to clients on how best to ensure their property is protected during these exceptional times.

It’s impossible to know exactly how long it will be until things return to normal but until then organisations face the additional pressure of ensuring their buildings are kept safe and secure without their facilities management and security teams being in place to oversee routine maintenance and complete security checks.

Put in place safety measures

A well-maintained building should be safe from accidental damage to the fabric of the building, but security precautions should be taken as unoccupied buildings could be targeted for break-ins and vandalism. Begin by considering how likely the building is to be targeted. Consider the location and local crime patterns, size, and whether there are valuable assets held on-site. Different buildings on a single site may have different likelihoods of being targeted; for example, outbuildings may be less secure and obscured, so any valuable items or equipment should be removed and placed in a secure place in the main building. Any portable devices or items of high value should also be removed from the building and taken to an occupied site – this might include valuable art or irreplaceable memorabilia

Ensure your site is not perceived to be ‘vulnerable’ or a target for intruders

There are a number of precautions which can be taken to make a building more secure and act as visible deterrents to a would-be intruder:

Any current perimeter fencing or boundaries should be thoroughly checked and kept well maintained. Broken fences and windows can provide access points.

If the site can be accessed by vehicles, it might be worth investing in on-road barriers (such as concrete blocks) or, if the building has descending bollards, ensuring these are raised.

Setting lighting in strategic areas of the building on timers to turn on and off also suggests there are people on-site. Good external lighting also acts as a deterrent and enhances any remote monitoring team’s ability to view the area via the CCTV system.

Monitoring services

Where budgets permit, try to ensure you use monitoring services of some form;  you may have on-site or mobile security teams which check the building. If it is the latter, ensure the checks are frequent but randomised and unpredictable. These officers should also look out for flood and fire risks. The use of remote monitoring CCTV services could be considered, although it is vital to ensure that monitoring teams are easily able to contact a site keyholder in the event of an incident; therefore all protocols should be checked to ensure they are accurate and current. It is important to ensure intruder alarms are monitored, fully operational and that the signal will alert remote monitoring teams.

As COVID-19 containment accelerates, businesses need to have strategies in place to manage their empty buildings and ensure they are ready for employees and visitors as soon as they return. The security team needs to work closely with their facilities management counterparts and be guided by their expert understanding of the premises. Keep communicating with all teams and understand that in difficult times, the seemingly small things mustn’t be forgotten.

Find out more information about the facilities management services we offer to corporate office providers here: www.anabas.co.uk/join-us/