In this guide to warehouse security, we evaluate the various systems and solutions these businesses use to protect their sites and the goods they hold on behalf of their clients. When it comes to warehouse security, there are a variety of systems you can deploy to ensure the valuable items stored are safe.
With a large amount of space to protect, both inside and surrounding warehouses, a standard, off-the-shelf CCTV system won’t be enough to detect and deter a range of critical threats.
This guide to warehouse security will take a look at all the main security measures you can take, ranging from perimeter protection to CCTV and access control.
If you are in charge of warehouse security, we highly recommend you read this guide.
Table of contents
A Guide to Warehouse Security: Perimeter Security
In this section of our guide to securing warehouses, we focus on perimeter security. As mentioned earlier in this guide, warehouses often cover vast grounds and therefore have large perimeters to protect,
Perimeter security systems cover four key areas:
- Perimeter protection
- Perimeter detection
- Perimeter CCTV
- Physical security
There is often a bit of overlap between perimeter protection, detection, and surveillance, however, to offer detail, we cover each in isolation.
Let’s take a quick look at each:
Warehouse perimeter protection systems
Basic perimeter protection systems can include CCTV, fences, and alarms. Perimeter protection also covers the use of physical security, including guards and keyholders.
Let’s briefly summarise each of these:
Perimeter CCTV
You can deploy well placed surveillance cameras can to monitor a site’s perimeter. These can include long range thermal, PTZ, and bullet surveillance cameras.
We provide more information on perimeter CCTV and surveillance later in this guide to warehouse security.
Perimeter alarms
Perimeter alarms alert security teams when someone is potentially about to climb over a fence or breach your site’s boundary.
When triggered, they can alert onsite or offsite teams, furthermore, you can integrate them with audio challenge to warn the intruder they are under surveillance.
Perimeter detection
Perimeter detection systems can also include alarms, integrated with IR beams, PIDs and sensors. We go into a bit more detail later in our guide to securing and protecting warehouse operations.
Physical security
This covers security guards who patrol the site at regular intervals. This is also reffered to as manned guarding, or security operatives.
Warehouse perimeter detection systems
Perimeter detection systems perform one key function. These advanced systems detect potential intruders approaching your site’s perimeter.
These systems can alert you when it detects a target near the perimeter, allowing you to take swift action if needed.
The different types of perimeter detection systems are:
- Passive Infrared sensors
- Detection beams
- PIDS
Passive infrared (PiR) sensors
PiR sensors can offer an element of stealth to your perimeter security function. They offer a very simple solution to maintaining site security and detecting intruders.
Should an intruder trigger a sensor, a silent alert can be triggered for your security teams to deal with.
Detection beams
Detection beams can be deployed, like PiRs, to detect intruders and perform the same function.
PIDS
PIDs can alert security personnel of any movement close to your site’s perimeter. If an intruder looks to climb or cut through a fence, these advanced warehouse perimeter detection systems will alert your security team of their presence.
Looking to learn more about perimeter security?
Read our guide covering perimeter security, protection and detection.
Perimeter surveillance
Perimeter CCTV systems can be deployed as part of a 24/7, off-site CCTV monitoring system. Alternatively, internal security teams can monitor them.
Perimeter surveillance for warehouses offers a strong layer of security to sites protecting goods and stock on behalf of their customers.
Typically the commercial CCTV cameras deployed within a warehouse perimeter CCTV system include:
- PTZ cameras
- Thermal cameras
- Long range bullet cameras
In the next part of this guide to warehouse security, we focus on CCTV.
A Guide to Warehouse Security: CCTV Systems
If the perimeter protection systems you have in place haven’t been enough to deter potential criminals, CCTV cameras can act as the extra layer of protection.
Not only do surveillance cameras act as another deterrent to thieves, they also have the capability to capture footage if criminals still proceed to carry out their illegal activities.
In warehouses, it’s not only external threats you will face.
With valuable goods in storage, employee theft is a genuine concern. The presence of CCTV cameras may be enough to stop most, but they can also catch those in the act that still carry out a crime..
External warehouse CCTV camera systems
In this section of this guide to warehouse security, we take a quick look at some of the external surveillance camera systems that you can deploy to protect sites and premises.
PTZ cameras
PTZ surveillance cameras offer coverage of a wide area over a long range.
If an intruder breaches the perimeter and is spotted, a PTZ camera can be deployed to track the intruder and collect evidence.
Bullet and dome cameras
These CCTV cameras can be deployed to protect the entrance to the warehouse and other external areas.
Turret surveillance cameras
Turret’s can be deployed to offer surveillance of the site perimeter, the car park and multiple external areas of the site.
Keen to lear more about commercial CCTV cameras?
Read our article covering the different types of commercial CCTV cameras.
CCTV monitoring with audio challenge
Remote CCTV monitoring systems can help reduce the cost of warehouse security. On average CCTV monitoring reduces the cost of physical security by 75%.
Furthermore, when coupled with advanced detection solutions, they can improve threat detection and reduce false alarms.
Audio challenge, also known as audio intervention can be utilised to warn an intruder that you are aware of their presence and for them to leave. This is also a good solution to deal with trespassers such as drunk teenagers who are up to no good.
Thermal surveillance cameras and video analytics
Thermal cameras are the perfect solution for detecting intruders in low or no-light settings.
They can improve human detection and can differentiate an intruder from a falling tree branch, for example.
Internal warehouse CCTV camera systems
Internal CCTV cameras can be deployed to reduce employee theft and resolve workplace issues.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the internal surveillance camera systems that you can deploy to protect warehouses.
Covert CCTV & spy cameras
Covert CCTV cameras can detect and catch employees who are stealing goods and products from the warehouse.
Discrete in nature, covert surveillance, and spy cameras are largely undetectable and offer a level of stealth surveillance.
Looking to learn more about covert CCTV?
Read our guide covering covert CCTV camera systems.
Internal dome surveillance cameras
Dome CCTV cameras are best when offering coverage of internal areas such as the:
- Warehouse
- Canteen
- Corridors
- Office areas
These cameras can help resolve workplace disputes, deter harassment and catch thieves.
A Guide to Warehouse Security: Access Control
In this part of our guide to warehouse security, we focus on the role access control systems can play in protecting sites.
Access control, in simple terms, allows you to restrict access to an area from certain people.
You can grant access to said areas through the use of intercom systems, or fobs. This means that only those with explicit permission can enter your premises, which helps keep your site and any goods stored, secure.
Access control is especially useful for warehouses carrying large amounts of stock. Furthermore, access control simply restricts non-authorised individuals from entering the site.
Let’s have a quick look at each
Intercoms
An intercom helps ensure that all deliveries are authorised, and avoid any unwanted intruders gaming access to the site.
Video intercom systems are the perfect solution to protect a site and give reception staff the peace of mind they are only granting access to delivery drivers and expected visitors.
Audio intercoms can manage the flow of people through internal areas of the warehouse. They can be a health and safety solution too.
How?
Busy warehouses carry the risk of forklift trucks injuring personnel and visitors. If people have to wait to gain access to the warehouse itself, they are less likely to get injured or worse by a forklift.
Key fob and keycard entry systems
The use of key fob door entry systems in a warehouse allows you to track all employee movement, which is useful for a variety of security reasons.
Key fob door entry systems protect a warehouse against unauthorised access. Furthermore, available location data can be used in the event of a fire, to ensure those in charge of H&S are aware of who is in the building and where they are.
Also, they can help when collecting evidence of theft. If you know who was in a certain area when goods went missing, you can start to build evidence.
ANPR cameras
ANPR CCTV cameras can manage access to the site. Pre-approved number plates can get automatic access and visitors can be granted temporary access.
These advanced cameras can replace the requirement for employing someone at the front gate to manually let people in or not.
Summary
To conclude, we hope this guide to warehouse security has provided a good insight into the various security measures for warehouses. Each method helps provide protection for a different aspect of the site, so there is no one definitive method to secure your warehouse.
Looking for a new or upgraded security system to protect your warehouse?
Call us today on 0800 689 1835.
