The festive season is not just for ordinary people to make merry but it is a festive time for burglars also seeking to make quick fortunes out of other people’s hard-earned property and appliances either in the house or office.
According to the South African 2015/16 crime statistics, business burglaries during this time of the year increase exponentially, especially in empty offices and buildings.
“Burglary is a serious threat to any business and can significantly affect operations,” said Wickus van der Walt, head of Broker Distribution at FNB Insurance Brokers, who added that a number of burglaries and related theft occurred primarily at businesses when closed for business. The losses are quite large and happen over a relatively short period.
Having tighter security measures can give business owners peace of mind while away on vacation, and Van der Walt shares five cautionary tips on how businesses can tighten their security during this season.
- Make sure your business is adequately insured: It has become essential for businesses to have adequate insurance cover in place. Insure valuable assets and understand the replacement values of those assets. Make sure you establish that your business has adequate cover with your insurer
Lock up your valuables: Burglars have become highly aware of vacant offices containing assets such as computers, laptops and stock for the festive season. Place valuable items in a secure room or safe; do not leave expensive items around the office
- Activate alarm systems: Test your alarm systems and make sure they are operational and if possible activate new and more secure passwords and alarm codes
- Burglar bars: Secure burglar bars and place them on the inside of the windows as this slows the burglary process down
- Keep records of all movable assets in case of a robbery: Taking inventory of computers, stock, keys, gate remotes including serial numbers can help speed up the insurance process in case of an emergency.
“In these tough times when businesses are struggling to survive, the last thing business owners want is to be caught off guard by a robbery. Without taking the necessary precautions and putting tighter security measures in place as well as ensuring adequate insurance cover against potential risks, a business can be left defenseless during this festive season,” Van der Walt said.
Read: How to survive a robbery
