Housing valuable stock and supplies, warehouses are a pivotal cog in the supply chain wheel and without the appropriate security measures in place, a breach in security could have a devastating ripple effect across the supply chain process - not to mention potential risks to staff safety, too.
That’s why in this post, we’ll be discussing a number of essential measures your business should be taking in order to bolster warehouse security and safety at every possible opportunity. From securing the premises’ perimeters to providing secure storage solutions for PPE, hazardous chemicals and more, we’ll leave you with the right know-how to achieve better on-site security for your stock and your staff.
Maintain warehouse perimeters
With figures suggesting that 13% of cargo theft occurs at warehouses and storage areas, one of the first lines of defense against security breaches is to start by securing the physical perimeters of your warehouse site. From the outer boundary fences and entry gates to the warehouse building itself, ensuring your physical borders are well-maintained and secure at all times is essential.
Many warehouses cover vast areas of ground, so it can be a challenge to keep a regular check on every potential entry point. Working logically, starting from the outer boundaries and working your way towards the warehouse building, assess the current status of your site security and the appropriate measures needed to improve it, such as reinforcing fences and upgrading locking systems for doors and windows. And of course, picking purpose-built, high-quality products is a must in this context. Using a commercial gate opener to control access, rather than a consumer-grade equivalent, is one example.
Carrying out regular physical inspections and identifying potential weak spots in your security perimeter is one of the best ways to effectively secure your site. It also goes without saying that taking immediate action to repair or reinforce any high-risk areas such as damaged fences, broken locks and loose ventilation vents is a must.
Employing a security patrol force could also be a wise investment for keeping on top of site inspections. Not least having a visible security guard on the premises can act as a deterrent in itself, but it will ensure inspection protocols are upheld and carried out periodically.
Gain visuals for every corner
With a huge amount of ground to monitor, physical security patrols can only do so much, but investing in CCTV and a robust alarm system in all areas of your warehouse operations will ensure even the most remote corners are monitored at all times.
However, one of the most important areas to utilise CCTV is your entry and exit points on the site, as well as delivery and loading bays, as these can pose a viable security risk with many people coming in and out.
Introducing gated checkpoints in these areas where staff members and visitors have to sign in and provide valid identification alongside CCTV will go towards giving greater visibility of who is on site, where they are and what they’re doing. Similarly, this system should also require people inside the warehouse to sign out when they exit the premises or specific areas.
Secure delivery and loading bays
As we already touched on above, keeping track of activity and bodies on the ground in delivery points can be a challenge, particularly during busy peak times when there will be bigger volumes of incoming and outgoing traffic.
Making use of your security checkpoints and CCTV will go some way to monitoring the daily comings and goings in these frantic areas, but for added security, it could be worth investing in physical security measures such as strong, steel security grilles and shutters on loading portals that can be retracted by authorised personnel.
In addition, it may also be advisable to introduce extra security checkpoints in these areas, allowing traffic coming in and out to be fully verified - this is especially effective in larger scale warehouse operations with high volumes of traffic.
Invest in secure storage solutions
Inside the four walls of your warehouse is where the real booty is for potential thieves, which means that your security efforts shouldn’t stop at the warehouse front door or loading bays. Whether it’s high-value warehouse equipment and tools, hazardous chemicals or premium priced stock, taking suitable measures within your warehouse to protect the cargo inside is all part of the process.
For instance, if you’re handling chemicals or expensive items, installing stock cages that require authorised access with a key or electronic key card could be an effective solution to minimising the risk of theft. These measures will also help you protect staff and monitor stock more effectively, as only personnel with the right level of authority will be able to gain access to these cages.
Similarly, you can install secure lockers with vandal-proof locks throughout the warehouse to provide a safe place for storing all kinds of essentials that could be targeted by thieves or a potential risk to employees if they get in the wrong hands. From PPE and personal belongings to high-value inventory or flammable chemicals, having robust and secure storage containers on site will all go towards improving your facility’s overall level of security - protecting your two most valuable assets: staff and stock.
Tackling the security of your warehouse can seem like a daunting task, but breaking it down into the logical steps outlined above should make them easier to implement - leaving you with peace of mind that your storage facilities and your workforce are well protected at all times.
