Is Your Business Premises Actually Secure? 7 Signs You Might Be at Risk
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Operating a facility in the UK may not be an easy task; the difficulty is not due to complex business operations, but to the possibility of unforeseen threats that might occur without warning. Your concerns about whether your facility is at risk are entirely based on the seven essential signs we will discuss that explain the extent to which your facility may be a target of theft, burglary, unauthorised access and vandalism. Let’s get started.
Statistics Related to Security Breaches in Commercial Spaces
- According to the UK Government’s Commercial Victimisation Survey (2023), around 26% of businesses in England and Wales experienced at least one crime, representing approximately 409,000 premises.
- The most common incidents included theft (14%), burglary (8%), attempted burglary/vandalism (8%), and threats or assaults against staff (7%).
- In retail settings such as supermarkets, crime rates remain high, with frequent incidents including theft, burglary, and assaults.
- Losses from customer theft in bricks-and-mortar retail reached around £2.2 billion in 2023/24, with over 20 million incidents, roughly 55,000 per day.
- In the industrial sector particularly cargo and warehousing, crime has also risen. Reports highlight large-scale theft impacting distribution facilities and warehouses across the UK.
These incidents show why a layered approach, such as specialist CCTV, integrated systems, and professional guarding, helps reduce risk and prevent costly damage.
The Consequences of Ignoring Security: What Happens When You Wait?
Be it a warehouse, construction site, or a mix-used facility, paying insufficient attention to security measures can have a serious impact on all business operations, especially in retail security, where theft, vandalism and unauthorised access can lead to significant consequences.
The premises hold expensive assets and tools, not necessarily related to your trade, but the entire infrastructure is built using expensive resources, lighting, electrical systems, HVAC and much more, which can be victims of theft and vandalism.
The Office for National Statistics reports ongoing property-related crime trends, including metal theft, which often affects wiring and building infrastructure.
Over 300 cases of unauthorised access have been reported in construction areas this year alone, as these sites often border open or accessible spaces that attract thrill‑seeking teenagers and curious trespassers.
Entrance through climbing scaffolding, cutting or jumping over perimeter fences or gates, finding and squeezing through small gaps in walls, fences, or gates are common. Even homeless people might seek entrance through shelters and refugees.
Over time, this can turn your premises into a hotspot for unwanted attention, disruption, and legal risk. While theft and vandalism are serious, arson can be even more damaging, resulting in severe losses, downtime, and complicated insurance issues.
A report referenced in industry news (PSI Magazine, covering CheckFire’s “State of Arson 2024”) notes nearly 1,100 deliberate fires across hospitality, healthcare, industrial, retail, and education premises in England within a year.
Don’t wait until risk becomes reality. Professional building security services can protect your assets, staff, and infrastructure 24/7. Get in touch with us today.
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7 Key Signs Your Facility Security Needs Improvement
Inconsistent or Outdated Security Systems
As technology has evolved, so has domain security. However, this escalation has powered a parallel rise in sophisticated hacking techniques.
During pre-digital age, security management was done by using mechanical locks, analog CCTV and isolated keycard systems and piggybacking/tailgating. These were designed to prevent unauthorised physical entry.
Nowadays, traditional methods have been merged into cyber threats. Mostly, infrastructure is now modernised into AI-powered systems and digitisation, enabling hackers to do the following:
- Exploiting unsecured connected devices such as smart locks or HVAC systems
- Locking access-control databases through ransomware
- Bypassing biometric controls using manipulated data
Despite the absence of AI-powered systems in your facility, these methods still allow hackers to compromise your digital infrastructure, posing a significant risk to your business continuity.
Lack of Proper Surveillance Coverage
Any blind spot in your CCTV coverage can become an entry point for criminals. Poor camera angles, dead zones, malfunctioning cameras, or low-resolution footage reduce your ability to prevent incidents and collect evidence. The result? Higher risk of theft, vandalism, disputes, insurance complications, and legal liability.
Increased Crowd in Multi-Tenant Buildings
Shared office buildings face distinct challenges as various new faces move through the space daily, with staff from multiple businesses occupying the same floor.
Having no egress control systems backed with strict manned guarding patrols in a corporate reception, unauthorised access can be a biggest threat, especially for businesses that operate 24 hours.
Perpetrators can follow the authorised staff through tailgating and piggybacking, impersonation or as an imposter.
Moreover, in a single building, multiple businesses operate with different policies across floors, which can be frustrating to manage, especially for businesses offering out-of-hours services.
Untrained or Understaffed Security Personnel
An untrained security staff, either internal team or outsourced, can’t handle conflicting situations well, putting your concierge security at risk.
Imagine tailgating has been occurring and a professional Highfield-certified SIA security officer is patrolling the area.
The professionals have been trained in vigilance and observation, situational awareness, conflict management and proactive risk identification skills, all while keeping adherence to procedures.
The moment an individual enters through tailgating, the expert can right away spot and prevent the perpetrators.
In case the team is not trained well, the consequences can be negligence. The guards will be unable to detect the cause of the perpetrator’s entrance, stealing the items, or exploiting the situation.
If your commercial property is facing this situation with limited or untrained staff, you might be at risk of being targeted by tailgating or unauthorised access.
No Emergency Protocols in Place
Emergencies can happen without warning—from fire risks to serious security incidents. Without clear evacuation procedures, marked exits, staff training, and response planning, risks increase for everyone on-site. It can also create compliance issues and expose your business to legal penalties.
Staff and Visitors Raising Security Concerns
If staff or visitors frequently mention safety concerns regarding poor lighting, lack of camera coverage, or fear while leaving late, it’s a sign your security measures may be inadequate. Ignoring these concerns can reduce morale, affect visitor experience, and increase long-term risk.
Disconnected Security Systems
Siloed security systems weaken protection. When alarms, CCTV, access control, and guarding don’t work together, response time slows and threats slip through. Integration between each department’s security systems must be integrated be it alarms, cameras, access control, or guards. This creates a smoother security funnel for supporting faster detection, stronger coordination, and proactive prevention.
FAQs About Festival Security Costs
Use a layered approach: CCTV, access control, trained guarding, and digital security measures such as MFA and strong credential policies to reduce vulnerabilities.
CCTV enables real-time visibility, supports evidence collection, deters criminal behaviour, and helps protect against disputes or false claims.
Signs include frequent false alarms, blurry footage, no remote alerts, analogue systems, limited integrations, poor scalability, and outdated infrastructure.
Contact authorities immediately, document damage, collect evidence, and secure any CCTV footage. Then review weak points and upgrade protections to prevent repeat incidents.
Conclusion
If you’re noticing any of these warning signs, it may be time to upgrade your security approach. Innovative Security Solutions offers tailored protection, including keyholding and alarm response, concierge security, and mobile patrols. With our building security services, improving your facility security has never been simpler—we use a consultative approach built around your site’s needs.
