During Christmas, businesses are more likely to be a security target. From increased footfall and reduced daylight hours to temporary staff and an uplift in retail crime, minimising the opportunity for unlawful acts is essential. 

Our experts have gathered five security tips that are going to help you safeguard your business during the holiday season:

Perimeter security

Whether it is to protect a temporary location, a warehouse, or a retail street, bollards play a crucial role in preventing accidental or intentional vehicle-related incidents, such as ram-raids or vehicle attacks.

Perimeter security is essential for ensuring safety during the Christmas period. Installations such as hostile vehicle mitigation bollards can deter vehicular attacks and restrict access to certain areas. Moreover, perimeter security can help to safeguard assets, ensure the safety of customers and employees, prevent financial losses, and maintain operational continuity.

Initially, we recommend working alongside a perimeter security expert who can assist with identifying areas at risk and potential threats. From here, you can consider the level of perimeter security needed. Our Hostile vehicle mitigation systems include a high-quality range of protective and award-winning security solutions.

Adequate on-site lighting 

With shorter daylight hours in the winter months, during the holiday season, it’s common for businesses to operate in the dark for extended hours – this is where adequate lighting is essential. Sufficient perimeter lighting offers enhanced visibility, therefore, discouraging criminal activity during low-light conditions. 

Not only will sufficient perimeter lighting deter criminal activity, but it can also reduce the risk of collisions and accidents inside and outside the premises.

Visual deterrents

The key with visual deterrents is to make them noticeable and ensure they present a clear message of surveillance, control or consequences for unlawful actions. If you have a security system, make sure people are aware of this by using prominent signage. This could include security cameras, alarm systems, lighting, barbed wire, security guards, access control systems and more. Highlighting your security system can dissuade potential criminals from entering your premises in the first place and avoid potential damage, theft and destruction in the long run.

Establishing clear locking procedures

As Christmas can welcome temporary staff and changes in the usual business routine, it’s important to maintain a secure locking procedure, ensuring everyone in the business and any new team members are clear on the protocol.

During the Christmas period, it’s essential to avoid alone lock-ups. A lone worker opens an opportunity for opportunistic thieves who want to access your premises. The best measure to protect your staff and business is to assign two workers responsible for locking up throughout the season.

Entry control 

During this time, it’s crucial to implement a transparent process to understand who is entering and leaving the premises. Christmas can be a busy time of year for many businesses, commonly meaning increased deliveries and new faces coming in and out of your premises.

Installing an access control system for all entry points will be beneficial. At Heald, we have a variety of access control systems ranging from simple push-button control to our extensive Hydra range, which is a remote control and monitoring system. Our access control system range is available with any of our automated products, including:

• Matador Sliding Bollards
• Raptor Retractable Bollard
• Evo Automatic Bollard

To discover which of our perimeter protection solutions is the best fit for protecting your premises, get in touch with our team of experts today: https://www.heald.uk.com/get-in-touch/ 

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