We have all heard the famous slogan, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It really is a true statement, especially when it comes to the personal safety of those you are responsible for. If you have a business and have employees that come and go to work for you on a daily basis, it is your job to try and keep them as safe as possible while on the job. Of course there are some common-sense things your employees should be doing because you cannot be responsible for all the decisions that they make. Still, every business owner should do what he/she can to help ensure the safety of their employees.
What are your responsibilities as an employer?
There are some safety issues that you, the employer would be directly responsible for, especially if your employees work at night. Finding a way to deter criminals is not always easy, but there are ways that work more often than not. Organizations can decrease their liability exposure by providing reasonable security measures. The following ideas can do that and be used to increase safety for your employees. You can use all or as many as are appropriate given your type of business and budget.
Six Ideas To Increase Safety for Employees
- Security guards posted at entryways
- Guest sign-ins
- Gated and guarded parking lots
- Self-locking doors with buzzers
- Motion-activated lights
- Have a guard walk employees to their cars, especially at night
More often than not, just the appearance of security guards in uniform is enough to deter the average criminal from attempting to try something unseemly. It also helps to post a sign outside of your business that warns criminals that there is a security presence in your building. The majority of criminals really do not want to be caught. They prefer to commit a crime where it will be easy for them to get away than to try a place that is heavily secured. Of course, this does not mean that you should ever let your guard down.
If your business is a place that always has cash on the premises, like a store, you should be extra vigilant about keeping your employees and business safe. Such businesses should always have some type of plan or system that will keep your employees secure. For instance, there should be at least one security guard posted on the premises at all times.
How Security Guards Benefit the Customer
The presence of a security guard in a place of business is a welcome sight for the average customer. Their very presence make most customers feel safe and secure. A professional security officer will greet each customer with a friendly smile as they enter and make them feel welcome. Since the vast majority of customers simply come to make purchases, not to commit crimes, having security guards present could possibly increase your customer base.
On the other hand, the presence of a security guard to a person with criminal intentions will be a deterrent. Seeing the security guard there will likely cause the criminal to re-think his intentions and possibly attempt to execute his evil plan someplace else. Just think if that security guard had not have been there, what would have happened?
How Security Guards Benefit Your Business
No matter what type of business you have, you could benefit from having security guards on the premises. Even if you have an office in a building, who is to say that someone wouldn’t come in and demand money from your employees, or steal purses or laptops? If a criminal tries and suddenly spots a smiling, uniformed security guard nodding at him as if to ask how he can help, that criminal would be less likely to commit the crime.
For most businesses, it is a good investment, to keep their employees safe by having uniformed security guards on the premises. Their job is to be there to deter anyone with criminal intent. They assist law enforcement when necessary as a witness and to help document any criminal acts that might occur within the business.
Why not contact Sterling Protective Services and find out what we can do to help you keep your employees safe?
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