One of the best ways
to reduce your business insurance costs is to
demonstrate to your insurer that the business
takes a responsible attitude towards preventing
claims. Your insurance policy requires that
you take all reasonable precautions to protect
your property and it goes without saying that
you would want to do this as a matter of course.
Crime and dealing with the effects of it remain
one of the biggest risks to a business.
The fact is that many business owners and managers
rely on their insurance policy to cover any
financial losses from crime. This is often the
case, but in some circumstances they may not
have the correct cover in place or may inadvertently
be in breach of policy conditions (such as not
meeting the minimum levels of security required
by the policy) that may render the policy void
and result in the claim not being paid. There
is also the policy excess to consider which
is usually at least £250.00 and sometimes
a lot higher. However, it is not just the financial
loss following a crime that is difficult to
bear, the inconvenience caused and the time
it takes to deal with matters can be extremely
damaging to a business. So measures taken to
help prevent crime should be included in any
business plan/strategy.
Crime prevention should become a culture within
a business, with all members of staff encouraged
to look out for the signs of criminal activity
and systems and procedures in place to report
such activity. Consider joining your local ‘business
watch’ scheme if there is one available,
if not, why not approach other businesses in
your area and get together with the local police
force to set one up. Your local police force
will have a crime prevention officer on hand
to provide advice and leaflets/CD-ROMs to send
you detailing areas to look out for and measures
you can take to reduce the risk of crime. They
may even be able to arrange a visit to your
premises to provide face-to-face advice.
Following the advice below should help prevent
your business falling victim to a crime. It
is intended to provide ideas for you to interpret
and apply to your business.
Ensure that your external doors are of a
strong construction (wood or metal) and not
weakened by rot, rust or poor joints. Check
that the doorframe is secured to the brickwork
securely (have a builder/joiner take a look
to make certain).
Physical security – most insurance
companies now insist on a minimum level of
security before they will provide cover to
a business. This will typically require all
external doors to be fitted with a 5 lever
mortise deadlock (5LMDL) meeting British Standard
BS3621 and all accessible windows having key-operated
locks. Check your insurance policy today to
ensure that your business meets the required
level. Consider having 2 or more locks placed
towards the top and bottom of the door to
spread the force exerted when someone tries
to kick it in.
If you need to leave valuable items in
the premises overnight consider getting a
safe fitted. Your insurance company may be
able to recommend a particular type. You should
have the safe ‘anchored’ to the
wall or floor. A locksmith or security company
will be able to advise you on your options.
Intruder alarms are a great deterrent. Most
insurance companies allow significant discounts
for correctly fitted and maintained alarm
systems. Use an installer approved by the
National Approval Council for Security Systems
(NACOSS), the Security Systems and Alarm Inspection
Board (SSAIB), the Alarm Inspectorate Security
Council (AISC), the Independent Alarm Inspectorate
(IAI) or Integrity 2000. Your insurance company
will be able to advise you which one they
will accept. A ‘remote signalling’
alarm is usually the best option.
Smoke generating units are now available
that fill an area with thick smoke in seconds
and restrict an intruders visibility to less
than half a metre (a foot and a half). These
systems are constantly updated and are available
with smoke that does not cause damage to stock
or contents. Alarm companies should be able
to provide further details of these.
CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras
are also a great deterrent. They help with
the prevention of crime, the anticipation
of offences and the detection of offenders.
Security Guards are another significant
deterrent to any would-be intruder.
Mark your property using ultra violet inks.
Print your postcode and property number or
first three letters of your company name.
All police stations in the country have portable
lights that clearly illuminate the writing
by such ink.
Make and keep a full inventory of items
likely to be taken in a burglary such as computers,
fax machines, telephones, copiers, scanners,
printers, audio-visual equipment etc. List
the make, model, serial number and when and
how the asset was disposed of (sold, part-exchanged
etc) as a minimum but also consider listing
the value and the date and place of purchase.
Keep a ‘hard copy’ of the inventory
off-site (such as at the business owner’s
home).
If there is no benefit to be achieved by
placing a sign on your premises consider not
doing so. A sign such as ‘Acme Mobile
Phones’ or ‘CGI Sportswear’
may serve to alert would-be intruders to the
fact that there may well be high-value stock
kept inside.
When you make a new purchase for the business,
do not leave the packaging in an obvious position.
Computer or electrical goods boxes left out
for the rubbish collectors act as a signal
that you have valuable contents inside the
premises. Consider taking the packaging straight
to your local recycling centre. A collection
of cardboard also poses a significant arson/fire
risk.
Try to eliminate the ability of vehicles
to be driven right up to your business premises.
Use bollards, fences, walls and locked gates
where possible.
Lighting should be considered to deter intruders.
Floodlights with a sensor that lights up when
people approach or low wattage lighting that
remains on from dusk until dawn are options.
Take special care with the keys to the business
premises. Allocate them only to trusted members
of staff and when not being used keep them
in a locked cupboard or drawer. Never leave
them in the lock.
Letterboxes give easy access to both the
determined arsonist and the prankster to fire
a building. Consider having a specially constructed
one that is separate from the main building.
Some now even have heat sensors and fire extinguishers
incorporated into them.
The area of crime prevention is a very complex
one indeed and these are just a few suggestions
to assist you to protect your business. They
are measures that could be taken to reasonably
reduce the risk of crime. Each suggestion should
be treated as one part of an overall crime prevention
strategy. There can never be any absolute guarantee
that crime will be effectively reduced but by
taking some of these measures you can do your
bit to try to ‘beat the thief’.
