2023 Office Building Security Best Practices

In today’s office buildings, security is a major concern for every tenant and building owner. After all, who is respon­sible for safety in the workplace? In a shared-use building, it can get a little compli­cated to assign liability when things go wrong. In general, common areas fall under the respon­si­bility of property management, but individual tenants want (and need) separate security for their rented space. 

Alarms are one part of a good security system, but to minimize the risk of unautho­rized intrusion and losses, even from employees, you’ll need more compre­hensive coverage. 

In this blog, we’ll explore office building security best practices. Some focus on protecting businesses from losses caused by employees, while others are focused on protecting employees from external threats:

Individual and Building-Wide Alarms and Surveillance

Office buildings with or without a manned reception desk and security guards on-site need alarms to secure the property after hours. Adding surveil­lance cameras makes it easier to track unautho­rized access during and after work hours, so more and more companies are upgrading to high-resolution video monitoring, at least in common areas. 

Individual tenants often need unique solutions for a business alarm system, but you may work with a vendor that stream­lines building integration between tenants and building-wide security efforts. In common areas, some systems that your business may want to install include: motion detectors, facial recog­nition software, and high-resolution video recording. Private offices may only require moderate protection, such as entryway alarms, partic­u­larly if you have a solid perimeter around the building.

Expanding the Security Around Your Perimeter

To effec­tively protect your office building from potential security threats, it’s essential to recognize that the risks extend beyond just the front door. Whether it’s a disgruntled former employee or a targeted criminal focusing on a specific tenant, securing the perimeter of your building is of utmost impor­tance. This is partic­u­larly crucial in urban environ­ments where space constraints make tradi­tional fencing imprac­tical. To ensure a compre­hensive approach to perimeter security, consider the following tips:

Secure Your Parking Area

Parking lots can be a major source of trouble for any office building. These areas experience fluctu­ating traffic patterns, and your employees may store valuable equipment and sensitive infor­mation in their vehicles. Limiting public access to these spaces is crucial to prevent nuisance crimes and potential confrontations.

Start with parking lot policies if you’re wondering how to improve safety in the workplace. These policies should outline rules and guide­lines that promote safety and security.

Encourage using a buddy system, where employees walk to their cars together. This practice ensures that everyone reaches their vehicles safely and instills the idea that having an extra set of eyes is beneficial in the workplace. It fosters a culture of looking out for one another. 

Consider imple­menting an assigned parking system, especially if your tenants have large groups of employees leaving at similar times. By assigning parking spaces for these groups, you create an instant safety boost. Employees will be parked in close proximity, reducing the risk of isolated incidents and enhancing overall security.

Access Control Technologies and Processes

While it may seem, at least at first, like a step backward, turnstile entrances are making a comeback in today’s office buildings. Turnstiles are a great way to smooth out entry and exit traffic and count the number of people in the building at any given time. When paired with digital access cards or entry that requires an access code, you can track the exact people in the building. 

When these systems are scalable, digital, and easy to use, businesses can quickly add and remove people approved for entry. There’s no need to ask for the keys back or worry about unautho­rized copies. Building management can control general access, and tenants can then add additional security at their personal point of entry, all managed by a single system but with unique user controls.

Adding Remote Access

In 2023, mobile access to virtually every system is not only desirable but expected. Your security system should be no different. By incor­po­rating remote access into your security infra­structure, you can monitor your property from a distance, visually verify alarms, and effec­tively commu­nicate with the author­ities in the event of a potential break-in from anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access. Remote access has become necessary, and making it available through mobile devices ensures conve­nience and acces­si­bility for anyone with the appro­priate admin­is­trative privileges.