If you need to secure your premises to minimise the risks of a security breach, you'll benefit from security keyholding services. Keyholding involves a specialist security professional holding an extra pair of keys to your premises, ultimately making them responsible for responding to any security issues.
They'll monitor your premises and attend to any problems that could occur at the property — at any time — such as an intruder or false alarm. They will also provide locking and unlocking services to ensure your building is prepared at the beginning and end of the day.
It may be tempting to simply hand a key to a trusted employee. However, professional security key holding services offer greater benefits and added security. Here’s what they are.
- It's safer
- There's no confusion
- Reduce additional security responsibilities
- 24/7 service
- Keyholders know proper security procedures
- Keyholders have technical knowledge
- Keyholders are professional
It's safer
You might be tempted to have a staff member take over the premises' keyholding responsibilities. But what happens when there's a genuine alarm and they're expected to act? A security professional will know what to do and can be forced to take action to protect themselves and your business. This isn't a burden you should put on your staff.
There's no confusion
A security professional taking on your security keyholding services will know what to do at all times. This is exactly what they're trained to do. The knowledge and experience they have mean they can provide the most effective response possible — regardless of the circumstances. Doing this in-house is a risk as you may not have the same knowledge and experience. Plus, if you have multiple keyholders, there's a chance they may not communicate and put your premises at further risk.
Reduce additional security responsibilities
Business owners or office staff are usually the main keyholders. However, receiving a phone call in the middle of the night that informs the owner of an alarm being set off, only for them to determine it was a false alarm, is frustrating. If a staff member has to deal with this, it can disrupt their sleep, impacting their productivity the following day.
Not only that but visiting a premises in the middle of the night without the proper skills and training is also dangerous, especially if it turns out an intruder is present. Through investing in a professional keyholder service, an experienced security guard will visit the premises instead and check over the property. If an intruder is found on the property, they will deal with this appropriately.
24/7 service
Handing a key to an employee doesn’t guarantee that a person will be available at all times to check on the business. However, a professional keyholding service will always be available, no matter the day or time. This availability means professional security personnel will be on hand whenever there’s an issue at the property. It's a guaranteed response. Just think how much more efficient this is than relying on an employee who may not always make it on time.
Keyholders know proper security procedures
When an alarm is triggered and a keyholder enters the property from a professional service, the person attending the incident will have the necessary skills and training to handle the issue appropriately. If it was a false alarm, they’d check over the property, secure it and leave. However, if an intruder is present or criminal damage has been made to the property, they will take necessary action, including calling the appropriate emergency services, if required. Whatever the procedure is, they'll know how to handle the situation accordingly. This is where their experience is beneficial, as the security keyholding professional will have witnessed every scenario possible.
Keyholders have technical knowledge
More often than not, false alarms occur. This may happen because of a technical problem in the alarm system. Professional keyholders usually have the technical expertise to fix this issue, enabling them to reset the alarm system if needed. Whether it's to resolve a technical issue, respond to false alarms or de-escalate a problem, a keyholding service can offer this protection.
Keyholders are professional and thorough
Unlike leaving a key with one of the business’ employees, a keyholder’s responsibility is to hold your keys and keep them safe. If you were to choose an employee to hold the spare key, there’s no guarantee the keys would be safe from theft or loss.
When an alarm is triggered, a keyholder will ensure no stone is left unturned in securing the property, as they are trained to do so. An employee won’t have the years of experience and training behind them, which is why it’s better to invest in a professional keyholding service. Using the right keyholding service ensures you have someone who will ensure your site is as safe and secure as possible. They'll thoroughly examine your premises, especially any areas that might be considered security flaws, giving you a chance to fix them.
Without a robust security system in place, your site is vulnerable to theft, burglary and vandalism. To learn how to assess your site for any vulnerabilities, take a look at our latest site security guide below.
How secure is your site?
To ensure your site is properly protected, conducting a threat assessment and risk analysis is vital. In our guide, we’ll walk you through exactly what a risk assessment is and how to conduct one yourself. We’ve also provided a helpful security checklist at the end so you won’t miss any important considerations.
To get your hands on the guide and access these unmissable insights, click the banner below today.
