Where are the best places to install CCTV in your business?

We all know what an important role CCTV can play in keeping your business safe and secure, but a lot of thought still needs to go into setting up the system. You can buy the best cameras in the world, but they will still not benefit you if they are in the wrong places or pointed at the wrong locations.

In this article, ISET UK specialist providers in security equipment, looks at all of the things that you need to consider when positioning your CCTV cameras to ensure that they are most effective for you and your business.

Know the law

The first thing that you need to be aware of is what the law says in regard to where you can and cannot film. If a space should reasonable be expected to be private, such as a toilet or changing room, then you cannot install cameras there. You may look out onto a public place such as a street but ensure that the cameras are not pointing into a private residence or business.

Entrances

Keeping a camera at the points in which people enter and exit your building can be very important. This allows you to keep track of exactly who is coming and going, and when. It can be used as part of an access control system, and a visible camera that can be seen by the outside world can often act as an effective deterrent to criminals.

Reception

Many businesses choose to install a camera in their reception area as this is a space with a high volume of traffic. It is usually the first place that both staff and visitors will enter, so you can keep an eye on everyone as soon as they are inside your premises. This can help you look out for thieves and vandals, as well as trouble within a crowd or even some forms of malpractice.

Work places

Keeping an eye on what your employees are actually doing at work means setting up CCTV in the areas that they actual work in, such as the office. You can not only keep a close eye on workplace behaviours, but they will be aware of it and ensure that they pull their weight effectively as they know that they are being watched. It can also help in instances of bullying, harassment or criminal behaviour, as you will have any incidents stored on film.

Customer interaction points

A customer interaction point could be something like a cash register, and it is very important that these are monitored. It can help to identify petty theft as well as more serious incidents on the part of the employee or the customers. It can also help you to see how your employees behave towards customers and spot any incidents of aggressive or unfair behaviour towards your staff.

Any area that involves monetary transactions should be covered by your CCTV, as these are the points where most incidents are likely to occur. Making it clear that cameras are watching is also a wise idea, as it will hopefully encourage people to think twice before embarking on something that they should not.

Store rooms

Whether you have confidential data to protect or simply office supplies, the storeroom is often a place where misdeeds can occur. Installing a CCTV in storerooms, data rooms or office supply rooms, you can deter any attempts by employees to take something that is not theirs. It will allow you to track who has had access to the space at any given time, to narrow down who may have been responsible for any issues.

Warehouses

Your warehouse is the home to most of your stock, one of your most valuable assets, so it should naturally be high on your list of places to protect. Much of the money in your business could be tied up in this one space, so you need to ensure that it is safe at all times. This will include looking for employee behaviours and anyone entering the property who should not be there. You can also use it to spot any hazards which might pose other forms of risk or danger to stock or human life.

Car parks

Car parks can often be a target for theft and vandalism as they can be easier to access than other parts of your business. Choosing cameras that offer a high degree of surveillance from a single point can help you to cover a wide area at once and spot anyone who is not simply getting into or out of their vehicle.

Secluded areas

Every business has a few dark corners, and it is these places that anyone who does not have good intentions will be looking for. These could be alley ways, smoking areas or near the bins. They are often used for secreting items or committing acts of violence as this is where people believe that they cannot be seen. Placing cameras in these spots will show people that nowhere is completely secret and that all of their actions are being watched.

Loading bays

Keeping an eye on what is being delivered and sent out of a business can be a very effective way of reducing theft. This could be from outside criminals, or from employees who may try to record inventories incorrectly or make any kinds of false claims.

Thinking carefully about where your cameras need to be is a huge part of installing a CTV system and making sure that it is effective. Wherever you choose to put them, you need to ensure that the area is well-lit so that your recordings are clear, consider the height and angle of the cameras, and where possible, make sure the cameras are visible and that you use signage to alert people to the presence of cameras to put them off doing anything that they shouldn’t in the first place. With all this in mind, your CCTV system can now be an effective tool in keeping your employees, visitors and business as safe as possible.