Summer brings with it warm days, longer evenings, social events and of course the big one we all enjoy, the chance for a sunny holiday getaway.

These can all unfortunately also provide a range of risks to the security of your business. Especially if you don’t plan ahead and think carefully about protection you can put in place ahead of leaving your premises empty.

1. Make sure entry points are secure

This may seem obvious, but warm weather will likely mean you open windows and doors to keep your premises cool and employees comfortable. Whilst necessary this can impact on the security of your building. It can make it easier for people to gain access during the day and there is a risk of forgetting to shut windows and doors at the end of the day if you are rushing off. So make sure you have checks in place to ensure any entry points are secured before you leave for the day, weekend or an extended summer break.

With lighter evenings it is likely more people will be around later into the evening once you and your employees have left your office building for the day. It may therefore be worth giving some consideration to how secure the perimeter is around your building. If you own the land your building is on, you can look at fencing as a solution giving you an additional barrier between your premises and potential criminals.

2. Put expensive equipment out of sight

Laptops, computers and other office equipment are of great value to you. They are also of value to potential thieves. Lighter evenings mean it is easier for people to see through windows into empty office premises. Storing expensive equipment away from windows is a simple but effective way of minimising the attractiveness of your premises to thieves.

You may want to take extra steps and store items like laptops in a locked drawer or secure them to desks with special locking systems

3. Consider technology

Having CCTV and an alarm system installed are both good deterrents to those who may target your building.

If you have systems in place already then ensure that you maintain them regularly to keep them in good working order. An alarm is really only of benefit if it is activated at the end of the day so make sure this forms part of your routine at the end of the day and that the last person to leave knows how to activate the alarm.

If you don’t have a system in place, then this summer may be a good time to consider investing in one.

4. Train staff

It’s important that staff are aware of your building security procedures – that doors and windows must be shut and locked at the end of the day, that they must secure their equipment at the end of the day and that they make sure any confidential material they have been working on during the day is also securely stored before they leave for the day.

Suffering a theft or break in at your business premises, is upsetting and unsettling. It can also pose a risk to your business continuity. Vandalism and the associated clean up can mean you suffer interruption to the running of your business as can having to replace equipment and machinery. Taking some simple steps this summer can help keep your business safe and ensure that you have a relaxing break if you are taking some time off or away.

First Recovery are specialists in the area of disaster recovery particularly focused providing support to the SME sector. If you’d like to find out a bit more about the service we provide, why not take a closer look at our website or you can send us an email or give us a call on 0207 410 7499.