Warehouse Security Planning Guide: 5 Ways to Improve your Security

Employee theft is a major concern in most businesses, but partic­u­larly in warehouses where employees have access to salable products. Did you know that employee theft is estimated to reach $50 billion each year? The average theft from workers was a whopping $1.13 million as of 2016. Add in the fact that 75% of employees have stolen from their employer and you have a recipe that makes internal security critical for your business. 

There are many ways to address security concerns, but let’s start with the broad strokes. You probably already have an alarm system and may have security cameras installed, but is that enough? Probably not. Below are some things to consider when you’re looking for ways to better secure your profits:

Review Area Restrictions

Not every employee needs access to every area in your warehouse. If you have pickers and packers, your packers don’t need general warehouse access. They only need access to the shipping area. If you have admin­is­trative staff on-site, they may not need warehouse access at all. When looking for ways to minimize your risks, start by minimizing access to high-value areas and controlling foot traffic through your facility.

Address Environmental Challenges

When imple­menting security changes, it’s critical to consider the environment. For example, if you can’t fence your surroundings or you have many doors to the outside, you’ll need to address these issues to create tight security. You should also install additional lighting or get outdoor landscaping under control to prevent hidden access points. Make sure there’s nothing on the building exterior that could be used to climb or hide. 

If your warehouse is full of dust that could limit visibility, you may also need more surveil­lance equipment than standard for the square footage. Essen­tially, be mindful of anything that could make it more difficult for someone who’s not autho­rized to make it into the building unnoticed.

Regularly Audit Equipment

You keep your line running smoothly because if you don’t it leads to costly shutdowns. The same is true with your security system. You’ll need to perform annual audits of all of your security equipment. Make sure every piece of equipment is operating properly and still offers the level of security needed. For example, you’ll want to replace outdated card readers regularly to avoid tampering or exposure to card skimmers that could provide unautho­rized access. Updating your video surveil­lance equipment may also be a priority if you don’t have high-resolution recording and storage.

Include False Alarm Identification

In many cities, false alarms that result in emergency responders dispatching the location carry increasing fines. It’s important to minimize the number of false alarms that may occur. With profes­sional monitoring, your business stays safe while someone checks over the property remotely. If all cameras are opera­tional and motion detectors show that there’s no unautho­rized visitor to the location, the monitoring company can cancel the alarm.

Install Access Control Equipment

You can instantly improve security for your warehouse by installing access control equipment that makes it easy to authorize or restrict access to various areas in the building. Some examples might include keypads and codes issued to individual employees for each area of the building. You can admin­ister the system through a web-based interface or using a mobile app. Either will let you add a new employee or instantly delete a departing former employee. 

Slow responses to personnel changes can be a big security risk. You wouldn’t want your former bookkeeper to have access to your safe, and you don’t want a former employee to have access to areas where you store expensive (or even inexpensive) products. When your building is less populated, it’s an ideal time for a thief to strike. A current employee who is in the warehouse when not working is also a possible risk factor, which is why it’s important to monitor who is in the building and when. 

Access control equipment can also assist with more than just warehouse security. It can provide alarms for propped open doors or reports about foot traffic. You can find ways to improve efficiency by elimi­nating wasted steps. Video surveil­lance, combined with access control measures that track when and where employees are in the building, can be invaluable produc­tivity-enhancing resources.