It is quite worrying that one-third of workers in the U.K. feel unsafe at work. Employees in this group lament over porous security and what seems like indifference from their employers. If you own or run a company, these findings can be revealing. They will hopefully spur you to take another look at the existing measures taken to safeguard workers and the business’s physical structure. That said, here are some pointers to improve them.
Have an inventory of all business devices
Businesses operate daily with electronic devices like computers, servers, tablets, printers, scanners, etc. While these devices help simplify some work processes, the downside is that most of them are portable and have a high risk of being stolen. This makes it more imperative to keep an inventory of your business devices.
A documented inventory helps you keep a close eye on these devices, and the exciting part is you can assign security to confirm the numbers at the end of every business day. Apart from confirming the numbers, it helps to set regulations regarding their usage and movement. For instance, are employees allowed to take some of these portable devices home? If they are, does your business have measures in place to monitor the return of these business devices? These factor into the inventory keeping process and protect your company’s work tools.
Invest in high-quality security doors
One physical security consideration to make for your business is to invest in high-quality doors. According to statistics, companies with quality security doors can avert break-ins by as much as 70%. As impressive as this sounds, it proves that one of the first lines of physical security is to invest in unbreakable doors. Wooden doors can only provide so much safety and security. And so it helps to consider doors made from tried and tested raw materials for the best protection.
For example, if produced and installed to the highest standards, steel doors are virtually impossible to compromise. Many steel door manufacturers rely on the best materials and enhanced production processes to ensure the final product offers maximum security. For you as a business owner, the purpose of investing in quality steel doors for the workplace goes beyond physical security. It contributes to presenting your company as a concerned employer who pays attention to employees’ safety concerns.
Limit access to sensitive areas of the company
If you were to walk into a bank right now, there is no way you would be allowed to access the vaults if you have no explicit authorisation. The same applies to your business place. Indeed, you may not have vaults on your premises, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that some parts of your company are sensitive. Ideally, the I.T. department, H.R., Accounts and Finance Offices should be restricted to unauthorised staff and guests. These places are considered the fulcrum of business operations, and any security breach could compromise your operations.
While you concentrate on your company’s data protection and other cyber-related issues, the physical security steps you take can complement the overall safety of the business.
