It’s not always easy to find balance. Your facility must be kept secure, but in most cases, your business doesn’t need to look or function like a fortress. In a previous article, we discussed the importance of controlling access and egress. Here we will go into more detail on how to achieve this effectively.
Consider the nature of your business
If a high level of security or privacy is required, such as in the healthcare industry or any business that handles sensitive information, there must be a barrier preventing access to the inner part of the building. The same goes for a company that makes, stores, or handles high-value items. In any case, there is no reason for people to be in parts of your building that you have not identified as open to the public. Even a retail establishment would be wise to prevent access to all but showroom areas.
Determine the level of security required
The issue is that in most businesses, some level of interaction is required with the outside world to be a successful business. Don’t make barriers to entry forbidding or intimidating unless that is your intent. If a lower level of security is required, a reception desk with a sign-in for visitors and a badge-in for employees or others who are permitted daily access may be adequate. If you wish to take it up a level, cameras can be added, either for recording or remote monitoring to identify threats that the receptionist could miss.
Retain control of your building
Even greater security can be provided, limiting egress to the building to a single access point and stationing a uniformed guard on location to monitor who is entering the building. This guard can be armed if a higher level of security is needed. The presence of a guard alone may serve as a deterrent to some potential intruders. State-of-the-art locks and alarms can augment guards.
Teach employees what to look for
Remember the risk that social engineering presents and trains employees appropriately. Intruders often gain access through propped doors, slipping in behind an authorized entrant or otherwise taking their way in. High levels of security are no match for smooth-talking individuals if employees don’t know what to watch for.
Begin with a plan
The experts at BOS Security can help you create a plan to screen visitors at a level appropriate to your business. Contact us or call 404-793-6965 for help in developing a security plan for your organization. We can assess your security objectives and design and implement a comprehensive plan uniquely suited to your organization.
