When thinking about protecting your business from outside threats, there are numerous choices. The right strategies will depend on where your business is located, who you want to protect, and what hardware, information, and assets you intend to safeguard.
While you may already have a level of security in place, the following are simple ways to improve workplace safety and security.
Reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission
The pandemic greatly affected the workplace security industry and organizations everywhere are wondering how they can improve safety and security. While the COVID-19 transmission numbers have gone down, the transmission of the disease is on top of the mind of everyone who enters your workplace.
Before the pandemic, most business owners focused on securing vendors, visitors, and contractors. But if you want to improve safety and security in your business, you need to also think about your employees.
To keep your employees safe, you may want to consider installing Covid-19 glass screens and allowing touchless sign-in.
Access control
One of the best strategies for reducing security risk in your business is to control access. A simple way to do this is to ensure only authorized individuals can access the most important areas of your business. You can control access using:
- Key fobs
- Swipe cards
- Physical keys
- Passwords
- Access codes
- Biometric locks
You can also control access digitally; for instance, you can grant access to files and databases that staff require to work. However, you can limit access to certain functions for specific individuals.
Install alarms and surveillance systems
Alarms and cameras are your first line of defense. An alarm system will alert you of unwanted intruders and the surveillance system will record all incidents, which you can use as evidence in case of an incident.
Make sure you get a robust surveillance system that can record clear visuals and audio, alerts authorities in case of any suspicious activities, and one that can connect with a variety of security options. Note that a surveillance system will not only defend your workplace but will also deter troublemakers. According to Science Daily, intruders often target businesses that have their defenses down.
Invest in regular employee safety and security training
Your employees are the lifeblood of your business and they’re the best tools to increase office security. For this reason, it’s important to invest in their training to help them understand how they can prevent security breaches. This will require you to have a security protocol in place that outlines best practices for workplace security, including:
- How to dispose of sensitive documents
- Guest check-in requirements
- How to safely share intellectual business property
While employee safety and security training should include incident reporting and policies that protect employees’ identities, it’s also important to make it easy for your employees to report anything that appears to be suspicious.
Create an emergency plan
As an employer, you want to protect your employees, clients, and business. But for you to do this, you need to have an emergency plan in the event of an intruder or disaster. Assign this role to a safety officer. They should have all the emergency contacts of employees, take charge of evacuations, and make sure all people within your business are accounted for.
Your emergency plan should also include the business records that should be secured or backed up in case employees need to leave the building quickly.
Summary: It’s important to improve workplace safety and security
There’s a lot you need to protect in your workplace – your employees, your facility, your files, your technology, and your intellectual property. If your business is growing and you have a hybrid work model in place, safeguarding all your resources can be a big challenge. Use the above tips to improve safety and security in your workplace.
