6 Best Practices for Maintaining and Managing Building Security Systems

Posted on May 04, 2024 at 08:05 PM

Building security systems is crucial to ensuring the safety of assets, property and workers within a business environment.  Not to mention reducing the incidence of risks such as theft, fraud and vandalism. 

Therefore, applying the best practices to building security systems is essential to reducing the level of common threats that may cause significant physical and financial damage.

Certainly, ensuring the safety of a building requires building managers or owners to implement a set of appropriate commercial security measures or practices, each of which is designed by professional experts to address specific risks, which we will explore in this guide.

6 Best practices for building security systems:

1- Building access control.     

It is a critical aspect of building security. It determines which staff and individuals are authorised to enter the apartment or office building and when and where.

This can be achieved by using physical keys or smart biometric identification methods such as fingerprints, facial recognition software or via a work ID card, along with advanced automation sensors, ensuring that areas containing sensitive information remain safe from intruders.

Moreover, some companies apply this technology to their gates, while others implement access control systems only in specific areas of their buildings, such as certain floors, rooms, or offices.

On the other hand, other companies may want to grant different individuals access to various parts of the facility, such as the accounting department, at different times of the day based on their specific needs.

2- Alarm system.     

It's the process of monitoring and managing building security systems.  This can be manual (traditional) or automated, depending on the company's budget and needs.

The type of alarm system chosen greatly affects the effectiveness and efficiency of a building's security processes.

Whether the employee works alone or in a team, they need to know how to access the system, monitor it for any changes (such as setting off a burglar alarm), and take proper action if necessary (such as contacting law enforcement).

Therefore, the best way to ensure building security systems is to manage the alarm system smoothly by training all employees on how it works so they are aware of the emergency situation.  Alarm systems can also be integrated with CCTV cameras to offer additional security and protection for the facility.

3- Regular Inspections.     

Inspections of corporate or residential buildings are an important aspect of ensuring the quality of work, the building security systems and the safety of everyone. 

Regular and frequent inspection contributes to monitoring any discrepancies or deviations from standards, which can be acted upon immediately to ensure compliance and quality, particularly in office spaces.

So, conducting frequent and regular inspections is key to controlling risk and achieving compliance in commercial buildings. These processes provide the opportunity to detect and reduce problems early, implement appropriate preventive and corrective measures, promote balance and consistency in standards and practices, ensure effective waste management solutions, and secure environmental controls.

4- Employee training.     

Training and education are also essential for the safety of building security systems.  Facilities management courses help in knowing how to identify potential security risks and respond to them appropriately, further enhancing building security.

It is worth noting here that employees must learn security procedures and emergency response and be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and workplace culture to deal with security situations, including employee self-service (ESS).

5- Review and Update.     

Incident monitoring and continuous improvement are essential to ensuring the effectiveness of building security systems.  

It is the responsibility of the specialists with the expertise to monitor what is happening in the building through surveillance devices such as cameras and to record and analyze the information accurately and comprehensively for detection purposes and reviews.

The success of this requires implementing and updating continuous improvement policies, which include:     

•  Updating employee training programs,   

•  Improving operational and industrial processes.

Incident follow-up and continuous improvement enhance the safety culture for efficient management and provide a safer working environment for workers and tenants in the building.

6- Introducing modern technologies.     

Companies are constantly seeking new security solutions to streamline their operations by integrating various types of security systems to safeguard their services. 

Digital technology can help these companies save time and effort while increasing profits. Unique digital products and hardware devices, such as Frontpoint DIY and others, provide comprehensive electronic security for businesses, homes, offices, and campuses, helping to protect their services.  

These security solutions, provided by many international companies such as Honeywell, Swiftlane, ADT, SimpliSafe, and CNET, are real assets that enhance business security. 

These security solutions may include:    

• Placing a security guard at the entrance and main door.     

• Installing a video security camera with audio recording in every office.

• Installing remote sensing smoke alarms. 

• Automatically locking doors. 

• Elevator malfunction alarms.

Always remember that every effort made to improve building security systems contributes to the well-being and safety of employees and enhances the company's overall success, progress, and development.