Warehouse Facility Security

Warehouse facility security seems simple but you would be amazed at the ingenious methods some people/staff have gone to, to steal. I was in the NZ Police for a number of years and have seen everything from theft as a servant (staff stealing) to criminals abseiling from the warehouse roof into the facility. (I do know what im talking about here).

Breaking the warehouse facility security down into 3 aspects:

-warehouse facility perimeter security.

-Actual warehouse building/facility security.

-Inhouse warehouse and distribution process and checks.

Warehouse and distribution centre security starts with the perimeter, obviously fencing, now whether you go as a visual deterrent basic fence or the full razor wire, motion sensored with lights and camera obviously is determined by your budget and stocks your trying to secure. But a full perimeter fence is a must.

Random security patrolling of your facility perimeter, waste of time!!.. the chances of any security guard stumbling across a hole in your warehouse fencing whilst a break in is in progress is next to zero.

Whether your fencing is razor wired or not ensure you have adequate lighting around the facility to deter any potential criminals, especially at the rear of the warehouse, anything that backs onto bush or dead land.

Cameras are good, but id bet all your going to capture is shadows dressed in black running around your warehouse, as a second prize, just signs indicating everything from cameras, and dogs which are a great deterrent but difficult to manage.

Actual building and warehouse facility security can include numerous great security measures. Starting with motion sensored lighting and again cameras but as per before, shadows dressed in black. Ram raid bars and solid pedestrian access doors with big lighting and no windows which aren't barred from preferably the exterior and certainly barred with metal. One theft I did attend as a policeman had burglars abseil from the roof (some 30-40m) breaking their way through the warehouse facility skylights. This is a little more difficult to detter. Maid for great viewing on the warehouse CCTV, but again black shadows in the night.

Thirdly and most importantly is having slack warehouse process, checks and systems in place to prevent/deter your own staff from stealing from you. The human nature conversation around why is to deep for this blog but for some people the temptation is to great to resist. So again it depends on what your warehouse or distribution centre is storing depends on the level of checks and balances you have in place to prevent this from happening.

It all starts with recruitment, police checks are a no brainer, however they do take time, obviously nobody with thefts convictions should be allowed into the lolly shop.

After that its all about removing the opportunity to steal - do the staff see stock lying around unaccounted for, wrong stock counts, incorrect deliveries being despatched, all these warehousing errors are a gold mine for anyone wanting to steal your stock.

Having correct stock levels, having deliveries accurate, ensuring you have warehouse process's in place to ensure only trusted employees have access to creating courier labels, arranging transport etc etc.

Swipe cards to internal access, cameras to be able to track back on events, and checks and balances in place for when stock leaves the warehouse facility.

Need some help with improving your warehouse and distribution centre security, drop us a line www.logisticsconsult.co.nz