It’s an unfortunate fact that there are many risks to the average commercial premises, from petty theft and criminal activity to accidents and natural disasters. Of course, every business owner hopes these things won’t happen to their premises. However, it is wise to be aware of the potential risks and take the proper precautions against them.
Vandalism
Vandalism covers a wide range of crimes, from graffiti to criminal property damage. Broken windows are a frequent issue, leading to further damage if not promptly repaired – the theory being that a property with broken windows is neglected; hence, it is more acceptable to damage it further.
Ensuring the property is well-lit and monitored can reduce the risk of vandalism, as vandals tend to choose properties where they are less likely to be seen. However, as windows can be broken by thrown objects from a distance, adding protective commercial security shutters can also be an excellent preventative measure.
Graffiti is a less destructive type of vandalism but can harm your business’s public image, and cleaning graffiti from your windows will be a frustrating task. Aluminium roller shutters across your windows are an excellent way to protect the glass from thrown objects whilst your business is closed, and any painted graffiti will quickly be removed from view the following day as you lift the shutter. The shutter itself will require cleaning to remove the graffiti, but this can be at a convenient time of your choosing.
Creating clear boundaries for your property will assist in deterring potential vandals. The more obstacles you can place in their way whilst being clearly visible to passersby creates a hesitance that can quickly push them into changing their minds.
Burglary
Because commercial or industrial properties often have expensive equipment and even cash on the premises, they are a frequent target for criminals. There are plenty of ways to reduce your risk of burglary; ensuring that the property is well-lit, covered by CCTV cameras and hiring security guards can help. Ensuring your most valuable items are not in view while you’re closed is also practical – reducing the temptation factor. But, of course, the most effective way is to ensure the burglars can’t get in.
High-quality security shutters have a numbered security assessment stating their effectiveness at resisting intruders. These ratings range from SR1 (the lowest) to SR4 (the highest). These ratings are decided by how long a criminal would take to make a hole large enough for a person to get inside your premises. The logic is that the longer it takes, the more effort is required, making it more likely that the burglars will hesitate and leave instead of continuing.
One aspect of a building’s security that is easy to miss is the entrances for your parking. Combining automatic electric security gates with durable garage roller shutters, you can create a substantially effective protective system for your buildings sufficient to deter most criminals.
Automated electric security gates provide your exterior parking with a cost-effective solution that provides your premises with vital added security. By securing your parking entrances, you can control who enters your property, ensuring that only authorised people can gain access. However, unknown strangers pose a security risk as they could commit crimes like vandalism, theft or worse.
If you have undercover parking, securing those entrances overnight is a recommended way of protecting your building. However, most interior parking will have convenient internal doors to the related business, making your parking garage a weak point in your building’s security. By choosing garage roller shutters to lock your parking overnight, you create a consistently high level of security that will deter most thieves.
Arson
From youths setting fires for mischief to criminals set on causing destruction, arson is a complicated crime to predict or prevent. Keeping unwanted visitors away from your premises with perimeter security measures can help; as with burglary, ensuring that your premises are well-lit and covered by CCTV can help reduce the threat. To ensure that damage is kept to a minimum should arson occur, you should also ensure that you have effective fire detection and alarm system.
Our high-quality fire-resistant shutters can also help stop a fire from spreading throughout the premises. These shutters are manufactured explicitly to control fire spread, thereby limiting the damage caused by an arsonist. Our range of shutters can be customised to suit any customer’s preferences, associated building regulations, and insurance company requirements. Fire-resistant shutters can also be connected to the buildings existing fire alarm system so they can be activated when the alarm sounds or installed with a standalone activation system that can also be used for general security protection and fire protection.
Here at Abacus Shutters, we provide a wide range of products that can help reduce the risks of burglary, arson and vandalism to your property – from burglar bars and fire curtains to roller shutters in London. For more information on these products and our roller shutter repairs, please contact us through email or phone at 0845 644 1225.
