14 Ways To Keep Your Offices Safe For The Whole Business

Whether you’re a small business or large multinational company, keeping your staff safe whilst they’re in the office should be one of your main priorities. Your staff have to come to the office five days a week, so it should definitely be a place they feel comfortable and safe to be in.
It may seem like a big job to do to begin with, but once you’ve got everything in place all you have to do is maintain the same standards you were before. With that in mind, here are 14 ways to keep your offices safe for the whole business:
 

• Ensure You Have Security Cameras Throughout

 
Having security cameras throughout your offices is not only important for reducing your risk of theft, but it also comes in handy if there are any other internal instances. Obviously, you can’t film EVERYWHERE, but having them in key areas will help your staff feel much more at ease.
 

• Have Your Offices Regularly Checked By Your Health And Safety Team

 
If your company has a health and safety team, ensure they’re regularly coming and checking the offices for any hazards. Whilst it may not be top of their list of things to do, it’s a great way to ensure the rest of the staff are working in a safe environment – whether it’s fair working conditions or the general safety of the team.
 

• Carry Out Risk Assessments When Need

 
If the health and safety team find there are issues within the offices, they should carry out a risk assessment to ensure the problems are fixed correctly. Although it can be a lengthy process, it’s standard practices within most workplaces.
 

• Give New Staff Safety Training

 
Whenever a new member of staff joins your team, include health and safety training as part of their induction. Whether they have a quick talk from Human Resources, have to take an online test or they shadow staff for a day – teaching them your protocol before they officially start their position is best practice.
 

• Use A Lock With Keycards To Get In

 
If you’re worried about people entering your offices during the day, having a lock system that requires keycards could be a great solution. Only people with the passcode, keycard or a fob will be able to enter the offices, ensuring you get no unwanted guests. These can often be an expensive option, but well worth the investment if you have a lot of people coming in and out on a daily basis.
 

• Protect Important Files With A Password

 
If you have important files on any of your computer systems that may need protecting, consider putting a password on each individual file so that no one can hack into them. If you’re really worried about computer security, there are proper systems that you can put into place.
 

• Have A Cleaning Rota In Place

 
To ensure the office is kept clean and hospitable, make sure you have a fair cleaning rota put in place. There should be daily, weekly and monthly jobs that each member of staff has to carry out.
 

• Keep All Areas Clear Of Rubbish And Cables

 
Keeping the office clear of rubbish and cables means people are less likely to fall and have an accident. The most common injuries in the workplaces are trips and falls, so doing everything you can to avoid this will ensure your staff are kept safe.
 

• Carry Out Repairs Immediately

 
If any of your office furniture or machinery breaks, it’s important you get your repairs carried out immediately. Any broken objects or furniture results in a hazard, which is something that would definitely not pass a risk assessment if it was carried out. The best thing to do is call someone out as soon as a repair is needed.
 

• Ensure Gas Checks Are Carried Out When Needed

 
Make sure your boiler and heating system are safe is something that should be done at least once a year, especially as a fault can go undetected for months and still be a major hazard. If you’re worried about the safety of your boiler, you can visit LPG Supagas for more information.
 

• Keep Any Petty Cash In A Safe

 
If your business keeps a lot of petty cash in the office, ensuring it is kept safe makes it more difficult for thieves to get a hold of it. Invest in a decent, sturdy safe that can be stored in a hard to find spot.
If you’re unable to store a full-sized safe, consider having a smaller safe that requires a passcode or key to get into. It may not stop thieves, but it will ensure there is not petty theft within the office.
 

• Make Sure You Lock Up A Night

 
Locking up at night is essential to your office's safety. If the doors are left open then absolutely anyone can get in and take your staffs laptops, computers and expensive equipment. Whilst it may not be able to stop break-ins completely, it’s the best way to discourage thieves.
 

• Hire Security, If Needed

 
If you work for a large complex that has a lot of expensive equipment, consider hiring an overnight security guard – especially if you live in a city.
Locking your offices up at night is often not enough, so having a member of staff there to ensure the safety of the building could be the difference as to whether or not the place is safe or unsafe.
 

• Have An Open Door Policy Where People Can Report Any Issues

 
If you want your staff to feel safe in their place of work, having an open door policy is a great idea. Whether they feel the office isn’t safe, the staff aren’t treating them right or there are unreported issues – an open door policy will help them to feel comfortable expressing their feelings.
Do you have offices for your business? How do you keep them safe? Let us know in the comments below and maybe we will use them in a future post!