Why do you need CCTV cameras for your business? Well, to be honest – you don’t – until you do. Many people pay for home insurance for years and rarely use it. However, if you have a break-in or property theft you are thankful that you have it. CCTV cameras work along the same premise – you never need them until you need them – so let’s consider some reasons why security cameras could benefit your organisation.
- Crime Deterrent: One thing is for sure: no criminal wants to be seen. Criminals do not want to take any chances that people will see them in their act of illegal activity. If they see cameras on a company building there is less chance that they will carrying out their criminal activity around your property.
- Loss Prevention: Internal theft is a larger problem for most companies than they realise. Internal theft can be employee’s taking things as simple as office supplies to things that are extremely vital – such as customer records and other extremely valuable company files. Security cameras should help to deter this but also can detect these activities if they do happen. Having the footage allows employers to ‘go back and check’ if you sense there is a problem.
- Quality Assurance: A manufacturer could ensure quality assurance for their retail customers through the use of CCTV cameras. For example, installing cameras on production and packaging lines and stamping date and time codes on a box of products means the business has the ability to review the recorded video at certain dates and times if there are any queries or disputes. The security cameras would also help the manufacturing company improve their packaging procedures and enhance their reputation with retailers.
- Health and Safety Assurance: In addition to intruder detection systems and access control systems, CCTV systems help to reduce commercial risks especially in manufacturing or packaging or distribution sites. Modern systems allow around-the-clock remote monitoring via mobile networks, which can be very useful in order to prevent intrusion and damages. With the help of analytics a business can also monitor or track abnormalities or potential hazards in certain zones, by using monitoring equipment they can ensure that costly accidents do not happen in and around a factory or warehouse.
- Verifying Claims: Slip and fall, sexual harassment, bad customer service – all things that can cost a company a lot of money and damage the company’s reputation. Security cameras can assist with all of these areas. Properly placed security cameras can help a company verify if a ‘slip and fall’ was real and caused by employee negligence, or if a person falsified the claim and slipped on their own accord. Security cameras can help with sexual harassment claims and can help businesses identify if one of their employees actually provided bad customer service, or if a customer was just having a bad day.
Responsibilities towards your staff
Security cameras should be kept in full view whenever possible. Not only do visible cameras have a strong deterrent value, but they are another way to encourage trust. Employers should not act in a way that is likely to destroy or damage the mutual trust and confidence between an employer and employee and if you operate a CCTV system there must be visible signs to tell people that there is one in place and that they may be recorded. You should clearly explain the purpose or purposes behind the system to your staff and ensure that the system is only used for that purpose and you should control who can see the recordings.
These requirements are part of the responsibilities of businesses under the UK’s data protection laws which are regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). These are designed to protect people’s privacy and regulate how employers can collect and process personal data about employees, which includes video footage recorded using CCTV cameras. These laws and principles give employees the right to ask which data is held on them and why it is collected and processed. Regulations state that anyone can ask to see images that you’ve recorded of them and you must provide these within one calendar month.
A business should only consider covert surveillance if the senior management believe it is necessary to prevent or detect suspected criminal activity or gross misconduct. The ICO states that is unlikely that employers would be able to justify covert monitoring in most usual circumstances. However, if in exceptional circumstances it is considered necessary, covert monitoring should only be authorised by senior management and a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) must be carried out prior to commencement. The covert surveillance should only continue while a specific investigation to gather evidence is carried out. Additionally, the covert monitoring should not take place in areas that staff would expect to be private, such as in changing rooms or toilets.
Security Group: an experienced CCTV installer for business
Security Group is a well-established security systems installer that provides complete intruder alarm, CCTV and access control solutions. We are SSAIB certified which means we are committed to the highest standards of service for our customers.
If you would like to discuss the CCTV needs of your business please contact us.
