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Top 5 Tips to Keep Your Warehouse Secure From Criminals

Joe Wilson
by Joe Wilson
September 18, 2019

Workers in warehouse

Whether you are an entrepreneur in the retail industry or a freight shipping company operating out of Western Canada, you’ll know just how important warehouse space and distribution centres are for the success of your business.

Your organization’s warehouse or distribution centre will be full of highly valuable stock, and for some people, this presents an opportunity in which they just can’t help themselves from committing a crime.

It’s not just professional criminals you need to look out for either. Internal theft is common in warehouses and distribution centres, with many employees convincing themselves that one item taken from a warehouse will simply go unnoticed.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t, it directly affects your company's revenue. That’s why for the success of your business all crime must be clamped down on - no matter how small or large.

How do I secure my warehouse from crime?

Warehouses and distribution centres can be more difficult to secure than the average building. This is because distribution centres are often huge and hold a wide variety of expensive assets that you’ll want to keep secure - traditional security such as CCTV is not enough to get the job done.

The large size and complex layout of warehouses and distribution centres mean they are vulnerable to both professional criminals and internal theft - but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any solutions.

In this blog, Sonitrol Western Canada has created a list of five key tips that will ensure you properly secure your company’s warehouse or distribution centre:

1 - Staff checks

Unfortunately, not all staff are honest, trustworthy or have an accurate resume. Before you employ any new staff members, it’s important that your company ensures it carries out stringent background checks.

Through a thorough screening process before hiring, which includes a criminal background check, your business will be able to reduce the risks of internal theft by preventing any high-risk applicants from getting the job.

2 - Implement verified video surveillance

Warehouses and distribution centres are large, complex buildings, and that means traditional CCTV security systems are pretty much useless for protecting them. That’s why it’s important you implement a verified security solution.

Sonitrol verified alarms use innovative technology to detect and verify any intrusions into your warehouse or distribution centre. Once an intrusion is detected, security professionals at our 24/7 monitoring centre are notified - who are then able to verify that an intrusion is indeed taking place and notify the police.

Since this verification process almost completely removes the high false alarm rate associated with traditional CCTV security, police dispatch to Sonitrol verified alarms on average in just 3-4 minutes.

With verified video, a criminal may make it into your facility - but they won’t be making it out with anything valuable before they are apprehended by the police.

3 - Require guests to sign in

Your warehouse is huge, so there is no way you’ll be able to keep a watchful eye on every person inside the building. That’s why you shouldn’t let people from outside your organization roam the premises freely.

It’s a good idea to have each guest that enters your facility write down their name in a logbook and receive a visitor’s pass. This will help your employees track who should be in the warehouse and make it easier to recognize any intruders.

4 - Install managed access control

Internal theft is a huge worry for your warehouse or distribution centre, but by implementing managed access control (sometimes known as keyless entry) you will be able to significantly reduce the likelihood of internal theft.

Managed access control allows your company to restrict employees access to specific areas, meaning you can completely control the level of access each employee has - whilst also ensuring only authorized personnel can enter your warehouse.

This is a great way to secure the more high-value items that you hold in your warehouse, as the reporting feature of managed access control will mean you will know exactly who was present in a secure room at the time of theft.

5 - Make it mandatory to wear uniforms

As your warehouse or distribution centre grows in size, not only will it become more difficult for employees to recognize each other but it will also be more difficult for you to pinpoint any intruders that have entered your premises.

By making it mandatory for your employees to wear a uniform, you’ll make it significantly easier for everyone in your organization to distinguish between fellow employees, visitors with badges and intruders.

You’ll also make it incredibly more time-consuming and difficult for a thief to impersonate an employee since they won’t have the uniform on hand.

Looking for more information on how to properly secure your company’s warehouse or distribution centre? Contact Sonitrol Western Canada today, and find out how we can create a tailor-made security plan for the specific needs of your business.

Myths about alarms and security companies

Joe Wilson
Post by Joe Wilson
September 18, 2019
We provide our customers with the best commercial security solutions and quality service backed by our unique Guarantee and Commitment to Service. It's something unverified conventional alarm companies simply cannot guarantee!
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