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Across Europe, warehouses are the most common recorded location for cargo theft in 2025, accounting for 33% of incidents, according to the BSI Consulting and TT Club 2025 Cargo Theft Report. The UK also ranked among the five most affected countries. That figure feels less abstract when warehouse managers describe running busy sites with half their usual staff and hundreds of daily orders.
With vehicles moving through loading bays, temporary workers arriving and stock changing hands, where do the real security gaps appear and how do businesses close them? This guide examines where those gaps appear and which practical controls can address them. If you want the shorter version to work from directly, our warehouse security checklist covers the same ground in a quicker reference format.
The NPSA’s supplier guidance supports a risk-based approach that considers physical attack, insider activity, vulnerable suppliers and business disruption. Start by examining the site layout, stock value, working hours, access points and movement of people and vehicles. The assessment should identify what needs protection, where the weak points sit and what could happen if a control fails. Our warehouse security risk assessment guide walks through this process in more depth if you’re building one from scratch.
HSE’s HSG76 warehouse guidance stresses planned visitor movement, restricted areas, site rules and clear control of vehicles and pedestrians. Walk the full boundary rather than judging security from the main gate. Check fencing for gaps, damage or places where stock could be passed through. Review vehicle entrances, pedestrian doors, emergency exits and loading bays, including doors that staff may leave open during busy periods.
Look across yards, parking areas and adjoining land. Trees, parked trailers, waste containers or neighbouring buildings may hide activity from cameras or staff. Lighting should support safe movement and make people, vehicles and incidents easier to identify.
Close attention is needed during nights, weekends and shutdowns. An entrance that feels controlled during a busy shift may become exposed once staff leave.
Not every part of a warehouse carries the same level of risk. High-value goods, customs-controlled stock and items vulnerable to resale may need tighter access than general storage. The UK Intellectual Property Office supply-chain guidance recommends strong stock records, controlled distribution, track-and-trace methods and secure handling of sensitive information.
Identify and mark the warehouse’s critical areas:
The NPSA’s supplier guidance supports access based on genuine business need, with clear records and tighter controls around sensitive assets. The aim is simple: each person should enter through an approved point, use their own credential and remain within the areas linked to their work.
Access control should cover the whole warehouse, not only reception. Staff doors, side gates, loading bays, yards, plant rooms and high-value storage areas can all create access gaps if they sit outside the main entry process.
Permissions should match the person’s job, shift and work area. A warehouse supervisor may need access to stock areas, offices and loading bays. A delivery driver may only need access to the gatehouse, waiting area and assigned bay. A cleaner may need entry after normal hours but no access to server rooms, alarm controls or high-value storage.
Cards, fobs, PINs or mobile credentials should belong to one named user rather than a team. Shared credentials weaken the audit trail because the business cannot tell who used them.
Temporary access should also have an end point. Contractor passes can expire when the task finishes, whilst visitor credentials can stop working after the agreed meeting or tour. Access rights should change when an employee moves role, changes shift or leaves the business.
Reception may be well controlled whilst loading bays, staff doors and side gates receive less attention. Yet these points often stay open during deliveries, shift changes and busy dispatch periods.
Loading-bay access should follow the delivery schedule. Gatehouse or goods-in staff can compare the driver’s name, vehicle details and company with the expected booking before directing the vehicle to an assigned bay. Unexpected deliveries should be held at the entrance whilst the relevant department confirms them.
Side doors and staff entrances should require an individual credential and record each entry. Door alarms alert you if someone forces a door open, leaves it open too long, or enters when they shouldn’t. Security cameras at gates, loading docks, and side doors let you see exactly who or what vehicle caused the alert.
Emergency exits must remain available for safe escape, but staff should not use them as routine entrances or leave them unsecured. Regular checks should cover damaged locks, open shutters, broken gates and doors hidden behind trailers, skips or stored materials.
HSE’s HSG76 guidance highlights controlled visitor movement, delivery planning, restricted areas and clear site procedures.
All visitors and contractors should be approved before arrival. Security or reception staff can then compare the person’s name with the booking, contractor list, work order or delivery schedule. Identity checks may also be needed for sensitive areas or high-value stock.
The entry record should include:
A temporary pass should only open the areas needed for the visit. Contractors should remain within the zone listed in their work instructions, whilst delivery drivers should stay in the waiting area.
Site rules should explain prohibited areas, pedestrian routes, emergency procedures, photography restrictions and how to report an incident. At the end of the visit or contract, passes, keys and fobs should be returned and digital permissions should be cancelled without delay.
The NPSA’s supplier guidance supports layered physical security based on the site’s real risks. Warehouse security guards work best as part of a layered security plan. CCTV records activity, alarms signal a breach and access systems control doors, but none of these can question a driver, redirect a visitor or respond to suspicious movement on their own.
At the gatehouse, guards can compare vehicle details, driver identification and delivery paperwork with the expected booking. They can hold unplanned arrivals at the entrance whilst the warehouse team confirms the delivery.
Security officers may also manage visitors and contractors by checking their reason for entry, issuing temporary passes and directing them to the correct area. During patrols, they can inspect yards, loading bays, perimeter fencing, side gates and poorly lit corners. These checks may reveal open doors, damaged barriers, tampered locks or activity hidden behind trailers and stored materials. Static presence and patrol coverage suit different sites differently, and our guide to manned guarding versus mobile patrol security breaks down which fits which type of site.
Other duties may include:
Insider risk often grows where access rules, supervision, reporting or stock controls leave avoidable gaps. The answer is stronger accountability, not a workplace built on suspicion.
Give each employee, agency worker and contractor a unique card, fob or PIN. Shared credentials weaken the audit trail, while restricted access to high-value goods, returns, dispatch and damaged-stock areas limits opportunities for unauthorised movement.
Access should end as soon as the work ends. Cards, keys, codes and system permissions should be removed when an employee leaves, a contractor finishes or a worker changes role. Duties should also be separated so one person cannot receive goods, alter the stock record and approve dispatch without another check.
Accurate stock and dispatch records make unusual shortages, repeated adjustments or movement outside normal hours easier to review. The UK Intellectual Property Office supply-chain guidance supports this clear recording, controlled distribution and track-and-trace methods across the supply chain.
An anomaly should start a fair review, not an automatic accusation. Staff may have made a picking error, followed weak instructions or recorded damaged stock incorrectly. Investigators should compare access logs, CCTV, stock records, dispatch documents and witness accounts before reaching a conclusion.
Staff also need a confidential route to report suspicious conduct or pressure from others. Reports should go to a named security, loss-prevention or HR contact who can preserve evidence and follow the organisation’s investigation procedure.
Warehouse security should follow each item through the building. A strong perimeter has limited value if deliveries enter without checks, stock moves without a clear record or goods leave without approval.
Goods-in staff should compare each delivery with the booking, purchase order or expected stock record before accepting it. Checks should cover the supplier, driver, vehicle registration, product details, quantity and supporting paperwork.
Packaging, seals, labels and pallets should be checked for damage, substitution or interference. Condition photographs can record how stock arrived, while any broken seal, missing item or unexpected product should be logged before the delivery moves into storage.
Accepted stock should move into a designated location with clear aisle and bay identification. The physical location should match the warehouse management or stock system so each movement remains traceable.
High-value goods and customs-controlled stock may need restricted zones. Returns, quarantined goods and damaged items should remain recorded, labelled and separated until an authorised person approves their next step.
Goods should only leave after staff confirm the order, quantity, destination and release authority. Driver, vehicle and collection details should match the booking before access to the loading area is granted.
Pallet or load photographs can record packaging conditions, labels and seal numbers before departure. The removal record should show what left, who approved it, who collected it, which vehicle carried it and when the warehouse released it.
Track-and-trace records should connect receipt, storage, picking, stock adjustment and dispatch activity. Regular checks between physical stock and system records can expose shortages or misplaced goods before the trail becomes harder to follow.
Gates, barriers, locked doors and restricted zones can help prevent unauthorised access, but they must be designed and managed without creating additional risks for staff, drivers or emergency responders.
HSE’s HSG76 warehouse guidance also recommends separating pedestrians and vehicles where practical. Marked walkways, crossing points, barriers and clear traffic routes can reduce conflict between workers, forklifts and delivery vehicles. Loading bays also need clear rules for reversing, waiting, unloading and pedestrian movement.
Good lighting supports both safety and security. Staff need to see damaged floors, moving vehicles and falling-object risks, whilst CCTV and patrol teams need a clear view of entrances, yards and hidden corners.
Racking should receive weekly visual checks or checks at another interval set by the site risk assessment. A technically competent person should also complete an expert inspection at intervals of no more than 12 months.
If a rack upright is bent, a beam has moved out of position or a forklift has struck the structure, staff should stop using the affected bay, keep people and vehicles clear and report it to the person responsible for racking safety. The defect should be photographed and logged with its aisle and bay number.
The area should only return to use after a competent person has checked it and approved any repair. Load notices should remain readable, so staff can see the permitted weight before placing stock.
Forklifts and other materials-handling equipment should only be used by trained, authorised staff. Keys or access codes should remain under controlled issue, rather than being left in vehicles or shared between workers.
The warehouse operator should confirm that each truck is suitable for its task, maintained as required and removed from use when a defect is reported. Operators should complete pre-use checks and report faulty brakes, damaged forks, steering problems, warning-light faults or other defects before using the truck.
The warehouse operator should also check that each truck has the correct operating instructions, maintenance records and safety information supplied by the manufacturer or equipment provider. See HSE’s guidance on workplace equipment (PUWER) for the wider duties that apply to workplace equipment.
Fire safety must sit within the same plan. Fire alarms, suitable extinguishers, clear escape routes and practised evacuation procedures all support a safe response. Security staff should know how to raise an alarm, guide emergency services and protect access to assembly areas.
Security doors and gates on escape routes should open from inside without a key, fob or access code. External gates should also have a documented emergency-release or key-holding process so the fire and rescue service can enter without delay. These arrangements should be tested as part of routine fire drills and site checks.
Innovative Security Solutions can review the perimeter, loading bays, visitor process, high-value areas and out-of-hours exposure before recommending a suitable mix of gatehouse control, static or mobile guarding, patrols, CCTV monitoring, keyholding and alarm response. If your site sits within a wider distribution network, our logistics security services cover the same principles across multi-site operations.
Visit the ISS Warehouse Security service page to arrange a site security assessment for a warehouse or distribution centre in Birmingham.
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It should cover access points, visitors, loading bays, high-value stock, CCTV, alarms, lighting, racking, fire safety, patrols and incident reporting. See our full warehouse security checklist for a page-by-page working version of this.
