In spite of all security measures, determined intruders do sometimes gain access. It is important to restrict their ability to move around your building.

Reception area
The reception area should be the first line of defence against intruders during normal business hours. It should be considered as one of the most important parts of company security and it should always be the first point of contact when anyone enters the building.

• The Reception area must never be left unattended.

• Every visitor entering the building should be signed in and out and should be issued with identification against a signature. There are many good quality visitor pass products on the market ranging from simple paper-based systems to more advanced computer-produced versions which can include the photograph of the wearer.

• All visitors should always be picked up from, and escorted back to, the reception by an authorised member of staff not permitted to "find their own way up." They must not be permitted to wander around the building alone.

• Thieves commonly 'case the joint' by visiting the reception area and often gain access by tailgating legitimate visitors. It is therefore essential that the receptionist/s are trained in security, can recognise suspicious behaviour, and are made aware of such techniques.

• If reception staff are used to control access from a public reception area into more secure parts of the building, care should be taken to ensure that they cannot be threatened or placed under duress to allow unauthorised entry. The reception area should always be equipped with a personal attack/emergency button.

One of the methods of gaining access is for intruders to enter the building and secrete themselves until it is closed and empty. You should carefully search the premises before locking up.

Access Control
In order to stop unwanted intruders from slipping past the reception area, entrances and exits leading to and from it should all be fitted with mechanical or electronic access control locks/systems. These can be operated by code numbers, swipe cards or even, for the more important areas, Biometric passes.

Card Access & Tags
The use of smart cards or electronic fobs is much easier to control than keys. Lost cards can simply be deleted, visitors can be given access on a given day only, and employees can be given access only to the part of the building where their work requires them to be.

Card and tag systems may be used in conjunction with keypad code systems to ensure that both card and holder are properly identified. Stolen or misplaced cards can be automatically wiped (voided) if unauthorised use is attempted.

Card access allows individual entry to carriers of identity cards or tags, which can be read by a computer operated system. It is possible to use this system to limit access to different parts of the same building &endash; each individual card carrier's code allowing a freedom of movement but only in specified areas.

Cards must be inserted into a slot to be read. Tags, however, may be read at a distance, using sensors.

These sensors, which may be concealed, are capable of identifying the approaching tag wearer and determining access status.

This gives an added level of security if a tag is stolen; the thief would need to know the location of the invisible sensors to gain access to the area. Computerised control may also be used to place time limits on access to, for example, a computer room for the night shift workers only. Cards and tags may also be used to activate further security systems
eg. CCTV. This enables further identification of the bearer.

Biometric systems are a new development in access control, using fingerprints or other individual characteristics (eg. eyes), which eliminate the need for any keys or cards, and apply to a single individual only.

Computer control of these systems potentially offers far wider applications than security. Staff may be located more easily and their times of entering and leaving particular buildings may be recorded.

The whole system may be expanded to the control of automatic locks, alarms, smoke and fire detectors, building up a complete management-reporting package.

By tagging all equipment, a computerised inventory of the entire business is simple to set up and manage.

Office Structure
Office walls are usually just insulated partitioning and a thief is quite liable to break through them rather than try to force a locked door. Offices, which are likely to be targeted, should be caged if their infrastructure is weak.

Doors
Doors still play an important part of any office complex. As a general guideline, although most internal doors should be closed to stop the spread of fire, they should not necessarily be locked. Burglars can cause a great deal of damage to doors and frames just to find out if a room contains property worth stealing.

Those rooms requiring high security (In today's business world, these tend to be the IT offices, In-house travel agencies or banks) it is advisable to fit robust doors and locks as well as caging.

Locks
There are a wide variety of locks on the market. Professional advice should be sought as to the correct type to reflect your particular needs.

In areas of low security, a good lock allows access to chosen key holders, but the more personnel and points of access there are, the more inadequate this system becomes.

Digital mechanical locks (with push buttons to enter a combination code) are very useful to restrict free movement within buildings, there are no keys to lose, and security is high. But care must be taken to change the codes regularly so that they do not become known to would-be villains and to ensure that passers-by cannot see the numbers being keyed in when used in an external environment.

Key Security
Where keys are used, they should be allocated to registered key holders and regular checks made to ensure that none has been mislaid. For special secure areas it is advisable to use key-registered locks whereby keys can only be obtained against authenticated authorisation or locks which require codes and magnetic cards to obtain entry.

Key cabinets are vital. They should be of steel construction and securely bolted to the wall. They should be lockable and the keys kept inside should NOT be labelled.

Safes
Safes are of use for smaller items eg. Laptops, money etc especially in areas of high security. For advice on safes, please talk to your Crime Reduction Officer.

Movement Inhibitors
If a security breach does occur, it is essential to inhibit, or at least slow down, the criminal activity. Various systems are now available to slow down intruders or make it impossible for them to succeed in their aims. Smoke cloaking is one form where, if triggered, the room fills with a dense smoke cloud within seconds rendering it impossible to see the target.

Staff
All staff members have to play a role in keeping the company secure. They should all be instructed to challenge anyone that they don't recognise or is not wearing correct identification. Where appropriate the 'visitor' should be accompanied back to reception for badging-up or collection by the person they are visiting.