Blog 11.07.16

Protecting Your Asset This Summer

As the summer gets into full-swing it’s easy to let your guard down in the lead up to your holiday break. Perhaps you are managing a large commercial property or facility. Or you are a commercial property developer, investor or owner. In each instance, taking stock in order to shore up your assets over the summer should be top of mind.

Planning ahead will mitigate any potential problems while you are away. Take action by running through these 5 points well before you take annual leave;

• What have you got in place to keep your asset safe while you are not on the premises? If you have some form of access control or CCTV you may need to consider additional actions while away.

• Are you already living up to what your insurance requires and will that be the case whilst away? For example, does your insurer ask that the property is not left unoccupied for a certain amount of time?

• Does the person looking after your asset know who to contact if there is a problem? The Centre for the National Protection of Infrastructure promotes security culture to make sure personnel are engaged with and take responsibility for security issues.

• How’s your security landscape looking? Any problems in the area or cyclically expected rises in crime coming up? Are there any potential threats your local security firm or police can advise on? Perhaps colleagues or other firms have experienced recent issues. Look into any current problems that may be manifesting.

• Is there a clear escalation procedure for any issues with your asset?

Come summer, the statistics speak for themselves. Calls to the police increase on average by 14% in the months of July and August. With regard to burglary specifically, that increase is pegged at 10%. The other factor is anti-social behaviour which can see a fairly serious 28% increase with half of incidents happening at weekends.

The summer months are known as ‘the silly season’ - school breaks up, Parliament recesses and at the height of the holiday season your employees’ focus may be less keen than usual. It is paramount to make sure staff, responsible persons and contingency plans are on point. Your asset can be made less vulnerable with these few simple steps which can make all the difference.

We do face challenges. However, as always, preparation is key. By being proactive, time out of the office can and should be worry free knowing your interests are protected.