Article Summary
Employers need to remind employees that there is no place that they can hide contraband in the workplace. Ensuring your facility is drug & crime free will allow you to get the best productivity out of your workers, avoid costly insurance claims and loss while protecting your employees from potential injury. Please read and start safeguarding your business today!
Article
Reduce Loss: Keep Contraband Out of the Workplace
Contraband such as drugs & alcohol in the workplace can cost businesses an estimated $102 billion a year in reduced and lost productivity, according to the most recent Labor Department statistics. It has been estimated that one in every eight workers, ages 26 to 34, possesses, uses or sells contraband on the job.
If employees are not bringing illegal substances to work they will be more inclined to stay sober during shifts dramatically reducing work related injuries and thus reducing lost work time and/or workman’s comp claims.
Potential crimes will be deterred including theft, drug use and/or sales.
Also, violent crimes that would involve weapons such as guns or knives will also be reduced if employees do not have anywhere to keep them.
Cell phones, although technically not contraband, should also remain outside the facility. Cell phones allow the employee to make calls or create text messages out of the building where they cannot be monitored by management, giving way to the freedom to conduct illegal or non-work related business on company time.
So now that we’ve determined that keeping contraband and cell phones out of the workplace is a great idea how do we achieve this?
- Create Polices
- Post Indoor Security Signs
- Follow through with Penalties for offences
Create ‘drug-free workplace’ with specific guidelines and definitions of what drugs are not allowed in the building and which ones are. Specify company policy of cell phone use and that cell phones are prohibited. Create a “zero tolerance” policy regarding weapons in your facility and have a forum to discuss this policy, consequences of breaking the policy and ways to report a suspected violation.
Based on your company policy you might want to search lockers or company property if you have adequate suspicion that a policy may be being violated. Make sure that you include the proper signage such as “Lockers Subject to Search” and “Lockers are Company Property” in and around employee common areas & locker rooms.
Signs that state your policies on guns or weapons, cell phones, search policies, drugs & alcohol clearly communicate security practices at your facility. Signs are great deterrents and also make sure those employees & visitors know not to bring a weapon, cell phones or drugs in the building.
Better promote health and safety as well as limit liability at your company by having recourse to take action against and discipline any employee who violates company policy regarding possession, use, or sale of contraband in and around your facility grounds.
Devise and follow a plan of action to protect your business from contraband. With the proper processes in place you can easily safeguard your people & property.
Rely on emedco.com for Indoor Security signs and Outdoor Property Protection Signs today.
First posted on 4/9/10
Article Summary
For business owners the safety and security of employees and visitors is their responsibility. It has been determined that the main places for criminal activity are parking lots. Avoid costly insurance claims and loss by protecting your parking lot and grounds from criminals. This article discusses statistics of parking lot crime and ways to prevent it. Please read and start protecting your parking lot today!
Article
Keeping your employees & your business safe from crime – starts with your parking lot!
Every 3.2 seconds a property crime occurs. When the U.S. economy goes down – crime goes up. Parking lots are a virtual magnet for criminal activity. Statistics have proven that parking lot security programs work successfully at reducing crime – often times down to zero. Most criminals will avoid places that have security. For less money than property loss and insurance claims will cost you, you can spend on parking lot security products and eliminate loss on your property. Parking lots are the #1 place for crime – don’t be a statistic – implement these 4 best practices today!
1) Lighting
Keep your parking lot well lit, especially during the day in places where natural light cannot reach. Hallways & corridors are an especially inviting place for criminals to hide – keep those well lit to deter crime. Lighting will also aid in CCTV surveillance filming – enabling the cameras to catch clearer images.
2) Access
Control access to your parking lots using a parking permit system. Parking permits enable to you tell at a glance which cars are authorized to park in your lot and which one aren’t. Effective permits are easily spotted by security when applied to each vehicle. Permits come in a variety of styles and can be either hung from rearview mirrors or adhered to bumpers, mirrors or windshields.
3) Warnings & Tickets
Let the occasional parking violator know you mean business by giving them a serious warning. Warning labels can be applied to the windshield displaying a clear message that will help discourage illegal parking. Parking Tickets help enforce your parking rules by detailing the exact violation such as “vehicle has no valid parking permit”, “parked in handicap space”, or “vehicle blocking driveway or access”. Immobilize a frequent violator’s car using a Vehicle Wheel Lock which will lock down any vehicle in 5 seconds. The vehicle can then be towed and/or police can intervene if the violator has broken any municipal laws.
5) Signs
Post proper signage around your facility grounds that clearly states your parking lot policies such as “Permit Parking Only-Violators Will Be Towed”. Clear warnings posted around your grounds with messages that state things such as: “surveillance cameras are being used”, “parking lots are monitored 24 hours” and “no trespassing” will deter criminals from illegally entering your property.
Make sure your facility is secure and the best place to start is with your parking lot. Safety and security of your employees and visitors is your responsibility.
As a business owner you should:
- Make your buildings and grounds well lit to deter criminal activity.
- Control who parks in your parking lot.
- Advise and warn those who violate your policies.
- Secure your property from trespassers.
- Stop crime on your property before it happens.
Visit emedco.com to view their full line of security products and property protection signs.
About the author
Renée Hioki is a security solutions expert. This forum is used to promote safety & security practices to inform business owners on how to protect their people, property and assets.
First posted: 2/12/10
