Surveillance systems are critical protection for property. They can alert security teams to what’s happening at all points of a property and provide video surveillance footage of criminal activity. Security cameras for a business can even record a workplace injury to support or dispute a worker’s compensation claim.
Here are some of the typical security camera uses that protect a business.
Top Security Camera Uses for Business Hours and Beyond
Many people think of security cameras as only being useful after work, when nobody’s around to watch the shop. However, there are many invaluable security camera uses for business hours as well.
Minimizing Shoplifting and Theft
According to the Electronics n More blog, 64% of small businesses experience employee theft. Across the U.S., small companies lose up to $33,000 every minute to shoplifters. If you operate a retail location, for instance, conducting video surveillance could help deter theft from employees and shoplifters. If employees are busy providing customer service to one customer, it’s easy to miss random theft from another. Business security cameras can alleviate this problem by either deterring crime or helping catch the culprit.
Encouraging Job Safety and Compliance
There are more than 150,000 on-the-job injuries that happen each year in the U.S. When a business lacks video surveillance, these incidents often become a “he said/she said” of conflicting stories about how the injury occurred. Security cameras document the injury incident, which could come in handy later for judging worker’s compensation claims.
These cameras can also spot unsafe practices on a construction job site or a warehouse. This could allow you to head off future on-the-job injuries by talking one-on-one with the worker or retraining an entire team in safety compliance.
We’ve even seen video cameras used effectively to track, alert, and document on-the-job violence, whether it’s between customers, employees, or outsiders. These tools are very important ways to keep your workforce and customers safer when they enter your business.
That being said, property risk escalates after hours – which is when these tools can really pay for themselves.
Top Security Camera Uses for After Hours
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) tracks property crime, including arson and burglary. In 2018, crimes against property in the U.S. cost $16.4 billion. These crimes include trespassing, theft, and vandalism. Thanks in part to the increase in usage of video surveillance, property crime has declined in the last decade. However, without a security system to keep an eye on your property when the business is closed, you are wide open to criminal activity.
Some of the best uses for security cameras in a business after hours include:
Examples of Surveillance in Action
Providing video surveillance for a business can actually give your customers peace of mind, too. For example, if you own a self-service storage business, you probably have customers evaluating the cleanliness and security of the facility. While you don’t want to show them all of your video surveillance, it’s a selling point if your company has state-of-the-art tools to track 24/7 activity.
Another advantage is the ability to meet security compliance rules for vendors or contracts. Many government contracts require physical security of your facilities. This could include the ability to screen visitors through a locked front-door or keeping an eye on loading docks as an obviously vulnerable entry point. If your business is in IT, having a camera on a server room is the minimum-security requirement for government contracting these days.
There are as many security camera uses as there are types of cameras to buy. Fortunately, Pro-Vigil is a leading surveillance expert. We work with companies of all sizes and industries to provide them with the best equipment and more options to protect their investments. We offer you a host of customized options ranging from:
Cloud-connected smart surveillance with artificial intelligence.
Solar-powered tamper-proof cellular-connected surveillance for remote locations.
Remote live security guards that can monitor multiple properties in real-time.
