AS BUSINESS EXITS, THE THIEVES ENTER

Many businesses are facing challenging times surviving the current economic climate with production down and workplaces closing. This means there are rising numbers of commercial properties left unoccupied.

The owners of these unoccupied commercial properties must be aware of the heightened risk of malicious damage, theft and arson, and take measures to ensure the security of their buildings. Although vacant, these properties still contain a great deal of value in their fixtures and fittings and there is an increasing trend in the theft of building fixtures, such as electrical cabling, plumbing and even floorboards.

A property owner, even when the property is empty, must be equally aware of their duty of care to anyone that enters it from trespassers to members of the fire services.  These are simple measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of trespassers wandering on to premises or it becoming a target for arsonists.

• Any vulnerable points of access should be boarded up and security patrols put in place if necessary, and then monitored. 

• Rubbish from inside the building and around the perimeter should also be cleared. 

• A general rule is to ensure that the building does not look neglected, because one broken window will invariably lead to more. 

• Where there are existing sprinkler installations, these should be retained because they continue to provide a valuable protection against fire damage.

It is also important that, as soon as property owners become aware that a property will become unoccupied, they notify their insurance company straight away, ensuring that any insurance policy conditions relating to the management and security of unoccupied commercial premises are strictly observed.

A Code of Practice by The Risk Insight, Strategy and Control Authority (RISCAuthority) was produced to give detailed guidance to property owners regarding the fire safety and security of empty buildings. A link to this website is available on our Useful Links Page.

The document helps property owners identify the risks of an empty property and manage the shutdown, including conducting a risk assessment in compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and reduce any risks.  Using a third party specialist, such as Guardian Risk Management Ltd, is also recommended to ensure that the property is cleaned and cleared efficiently, and is fully secure for the time it will lay empty.

If you find yourself in the position of needing to insure an unoccupied commercial property, please contact us for advice and a quotation.