Plant or facility security relates to any measures taken to secure a physical location and/or a building. The demand for scalable and “integrate-able” security solutions has increased, this is true for everyone from restaurants and small retail shops to industrial and manufacturing environments.
Because they typically have much more complex security requirements and are often bound by industry compliance regulations, I’m going to focus on large campuses and companies with multiple buildings. As an example, utility companies have power stations and water treatment plants that are considered “critical infrastructure” and are inherently at higher risk of outside threat.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our traditional sense of safety and security in the workplace has been muddied. Operations were disrupted and supply chains fell drastically behind, with many facilities having to shut down or halt production for extended periods of time. Bringing people back into the workplace has stirred up questions on ways companies can provide better security to improve employee safety and remain cost-efficient.
What are the Most Important Solutions for Facility Security?
It is crucial for manufacturing plants and facilities to secure their physical premises. Machinery, capital goods, and more importantly, your employees and intellectual property are all vital to the success of your operation. The margin for error when it comes to security is very thin.
When we think of manufacturing, plant, or facility technology we usually think of operational advances that technology has made possible. However, security and worker safety are two areas that have been heavily influenced by technology but can often be an afterthought in the manufacturing world.
If you’re in the middle of a new build or plan to upgrade your facilities, it is important to note that it will require some upfront investment. The main goal is always to minimize unnecessary stress and financial loss in the long run. For more on financial loss mitigation on your system, check out our ESP program.
Analog security systems, for the most part, are a thing of the past but we still run into them from time to time. Fortunately, modern technology can help companies secure their valuable assets. There are so many incredible features available in modern day security technologies. However, scalability may be the most valuable of them all. Deep learning solutions have allowed for reductions in the manpower necessary to perform surveillance duties. A decade ago, our customers would have had to supplement that lack of technology with physical guards and/or personnel on site.
Access Control
Access Control allows you to control who can enter your facilities. Access control improves worker safety because anyone without proper credentials will be automatically denied access, preventing a potentially hazardous incident from taking place. Not everyone who enters a facility will need access to every area. Some will require heavier access restrictions than others. Typically, a select number of employees or managers must be granted access to these highly secured areas.
Security leaders usually implement these parameters onto credentials like identity cards, fobs, or badges. Which is ideal when you have hundreds of employees working at your facility since one credential can work at many entry points and is managed with a software platform. Think of all the locks you won’t need to replace every time someone loses a key.
If keeping track of physical credentials isn’t your thing, biometric authentication allows security teams to save on buying physical credentials. The identity of authorized persons can be confirmed with biometric data, such as fingerprints, iris scans, and facial or voice recognition. These authentication methods can be used alone or in tandem, depending on the level of security required by the end user. Many modern access control systems allow for dynamic modification of access control settings, allowing you to change settings as roles and responsibility among employees can be fluid.
A good access control system and a dependable intrusion system are almost two sides of the same coin. While access control is primarily used during business hours to protect employees, an intrusion system keeps watch after hours. Just like a standard residential security system, these commercial intrusion solutions can help provide peace-of-mind not just for building managers, but for every employee that works in that facility.
Video Surveillance
Video surveillance plays a vital role in protecting the inside and outside of your facilities. HD imaging capabilities are basically a standard feature for any quality video surveillance system. The ability to obtain clear footage is crucial, especially when considering low light environments or nighttime events.
Blind spots should be eliminated from your property, both inside and outside. It is not hard for thieves and bad actors to spot blind spots in your coverage, therefore it’s important to hire a professional because we’re trained to fill the gaps most people miss.
Today’s security systems are so smart that you don’t need a physical body to be monitoring a video feed all day. Systems are now equipped with features like analytics and other smart capabilities that can trigger a system to start recording and send a notification when a person is detected in an unauthorized area. Analytics can be trained to identify and track specific objects and characteristics like types of vehicles, clothing colors, gender, etc.
Evidence management is another feature that video surveillance provides. Surveillance footage can be crucial in supporting law enforcement or insurance companies should an investigation or incident occur.
Integrating access control with video surveillance systems is what brings the management and analysis of your security system into one place.
Many businesses are reducing or even completely removing their reliance on physical or “manned” security. Security systems are capable of being monitored and managed remotely, which allows you to outsource more of your security operations than just CCTV.
No matter what stage you’re at in your facility security planning, it is always advisable to speak with a security expert. When you work with Will Electronics, you can rest assured we will take care of you and your facilities’ most important assets.