The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the majority of high street retailers and businesses to shut up shop, with some of those on the government’s exemption list electing to reduce opening hours, or close the retail outlet side of their business altogether. In addition to scaling back services, those businesses that are operating are having to adapt their working practices in line with the government’s advice on social distancing.
Customers and suppliers have been adversely affected too. Many normally office-based staff are now working from home and have drastically reduced the number of shopping trips taken. Businesses in the supply chain who are unable to diversify operations to support the national effort have either scaled back or suspended operations. The overall result is that otherwise busy retail, office, leisure and distribution facilities are temporarily unoccupied, making them increasingly vulnerable to burglary, squatting and vandalism.
Keeping a smart eye on things
Police are advising business owners to focus on the risk to their premises and regularly review their security requirements. Burg-Wächter believes that good security is all about building in layers. Starting with the perimeter, ensure any gates at chained shut, with doors, windows and shutters secured with the highest quality locks you can afford. Use a strong padlock, hasp and staple to secure any outbuildings and warehouses, whilst a padlock, chain and ground anchor are ideal for keeping forklifts, machinery and outdoor items in place.
High quality CCTV is both a great visual deterrent and useful source of evidence. Modern wireless CCTV systems are relatively easy to install, with “smart” versions offering an array of features such as remote monitoring and event alerts on a smartphone. Similarly, a smart alarm and monitoring system will notify you in the event of a break in, flood or fire, whilst smart doorbells allow you to see and speak with visitors to your premises even when you’re not there.
(Post) boxing clever
One side effect of the Covid-19 pandemic has been a dramatic growth in online sales. Whilst a large number of non-essential workers are working from home (and able to receive deliveries), many are choosing to exert a greater control over who and what comes into their property. In addition, many business owners are still being sent essential mail and other deliveries despite not being there to receive them. Together, this has resulted in a surge in demand for secure, reliable post and parcel boxes to temporarily secure any deliveries until they can be collected or moved inside.
Reflected in the growing trend for coloured uPVC windows and doors, increasingly style-conscious customers care as much about the appearance of the outside of their property as the inside. To help installers make the most of this increased sales opportunity, Burg-Wächter is promoting Europe’s largest range of stylish post boxes.
Available in a wide range of designs and choice of colours there’s a Burg-Wächter post box solution for every building. Stackable options meet the needs of apartment and office buildings, whilst the choice of either wall-mounted or free-standing models bring added flexibility to the range. There’s even a parcel box for larger deliveries, which features an innovative locking system that once triggered by the courier can only be opened by the owner. Customer appeal is further enhanced by the variety of materials available, including stainless steel, high quality plastic and powder-coated galvanised steel.
Style is no substitute for substance and all Burg-Wächter post boxes conforming to the European standard EN 13724 assure superior performance, enhanced weather protection and greater resistance to attack.
Safe as houses
The last line of defence for any building should be a safe, which can be used to securely store cash, valuables (including goods, equipment and IT) and important documents. Carefully considering what you would like to store, its total value and what danger you are trying to guard against will help you pick the right model of safe for your circumstances.
Cheaper safes tend to be little more than glorified cash boxes, whilst “proper” safes come in a wide choice of sizes and locking mechanisms. They also have a selected range of ratings which can be broadly split into monetary insurance values and fire resistance. It’s important to check your insurance policy for the required ratings and look out for the “AiS Approved” logo, which proves the safe has been independently tested and verified. It’s worth remembering that the safe must be properly installed in line with the manufacturer’s instructions, otherwise insurers may not recognise the ratings in the event of a claim.
Having buildings and assets protected by reliable high quality security products and systems helps to ease the strain on absent owners. It minimises the potential for further disruption of loss and damage during these challenging times, enabling the business to focus its efforts on getting back on its feet when things return to “normal”.