Real estate security as a package of facility services for risk reduction

The safety of buildings is becoming increasingly important in the modern world. And not only in the context of physical security, but also fire safety, cyber defense. In this article, experts in the field of Facility Management, SHEN , will talk about how to comprehensively solve the problems associated with this important part of the operation of the property.

Protection of the object in the structure of service facility

The difficult economic situation in the country stimulates crime and penetration, vandalism, theft are becoming more frequent. How to organize security at the facility?

The first thing to do is properly evaluate the property in terms of security. This will help professional audit, which includes a survey of the building to identify weaknesses with suggestions for the implementation of comprehensive measures. It takes into account:

Physical indicators of the object (building area, infrastructure, number of floors, entrance groups, etc.)

Material indicators (equipment available, valuables)

Activity indicators (number of employees, work schedule, admission levels, goods and raw materials acceptance schedule)

With this data, you can more accurately make a plan and identify the necessary measures.

To date, there are 3 types of security activities:

Physical security – object security by specially trained personnel.

Technical security – security with the help of technical equipment, video surveillance systems, access control, alarm systems

Corporate protection – protection of confidential company data

The most effective strategy is to mix these items. Here it is important to calculate the feasibility and benefits of certain methods of protection. For example, security guards cannot always control the hard-to-reach places of a building; in such premises, video surveillance is best suited. Or if the territory of the facility is more physical protection drones can come to the rescue, instead of hiring additional guards.

However, fortunately or unfortunately, it is unlikely that we can manage without physical protection. Video surveillance or access chips will not protect at the time of theft or attack.

Fire safety

The construction of high-altitude facilities, the use of flammable materials, an increase in the load on the electrical network leads to an increased risk of fire inside the building.

Ukrainian legislation clearly establishes fire safety standards for commercial facilities, fire inspections monitor their observance, so buildings always have evacuation plans on each floor, fire extinguishers and emergency exits, as well as regular staff briefings. In part, this reduces damage in the event of a fire. And how can you prevent the occurrence of fire?

Many fires occur due to faults in electrical wiring. Regular inspection of power grids by professionals using measuring equipment minimizes the possibility of a sudden fire.

Intentional arson. We discussed the possibilities of reducing this risk.

Not intentional arson. Smoking in the wrong places, improper handling of equipment, especially gas, and heating elements. These are issues related to the human factor, and training, training and monitoring personnel is a necessary element of work, but video surveillance systems can be useful here.

According to the domestic legislation, the responsibility for the safety of employees and visitors in the building is assigned to the owners of the object and employers. In addition, security violations often entail serious material and reputational losses. Therefore, to ignore this issue in any case is not worth it. SHEN recommends working only with a professional company that has licenses for such activities.