6 Steps To Improve Warehouse Security

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Third parties also frequently visit to conduct maintenance, repair equipment, and deliver materials. As people come and go, several warehouse entry points are used. This hustle and bustle can make it difficult to monitor your warehouse environment.

Even though many people access your building throughout the day, there are several ways for your team to keep warehouse security in check. Paying attention to the design and layout of your facility, along with implementing key security protocols, can help protect against theft and prevent injuries and human error.

Taking a layered approach to security provides varying levels of protection, creating more time to respond to and mitigate potential problems. To start, consider these six steps to bolster warehouse security.

1. Monitor and secure the warehouse perimeter

Watching your property’s boundary lines 24/7 is a good way to detect potential intrusions before they occur. Suspicious behavior can be pinpointed and addressed before the attempt moves closer to the warehouse.

You can use a wide variety of security technology to monitor and secure the perimeter, including:

Video surveillance systems that offer real-time insight into what’s happening around the property. Depending on your environment, you may want to consider cameras that offer built-in license plate capture capabilities, automatic pan/tilt/zoom features, or infrared technology to capture clear images in complete darkness. When you pair these cameras with a DVR recorder, you’ll be able to capture accurate, time-stamped visual data about who enters and exits your facility. In case of an incident, the recorded information can be accessed for review.

Access control systems help you permit and restrict building access. Whether access is controlled through keypads, buttons, cards, or fobs, these systems can easily manage who enters your warehouse—and who doesn’t. These types of systems also help you restrict access to certain areas of your warehouse (docks and shipping yards, for example).

Fences, bollards, and other barriers create visual and physical obstacles that define and protect spaces to make break-ins and theft more difficult. These barricades can also prevent injury by separating pedestrian walkways from spaces where industrial trucks are operating.

2. Post signage to indicate restricted areas

As people approach your warehouse—or specific areas within the warehouse—make sure notice signs clearly communicate restricted access. Through no-trespassing signage or signs indicating authorized access, you can let people know they’re in a location they shouldn’t be.

Also be sure to post signage that discloses possible hazards, caution, or warnings so individuals are aware of the potentially dangerous situations ahead. This may be enough to cause some intruders to think twice before entering.

You can also deploy other types of safety identification products to characterize the presence of specific hazards or the location of safety resources.

3. Improve visibility in and around the warehouse

Dark entry points are open invitations for mischievous behavior, as poor lighting can help to hide criminal acts.

Add exterior lighting near all warehouse entrances and exits, as well as in the parking lot and loading dock areas. This can deter criminal activity and make it easier for your team to identify unauthorized vehicles and intruders. It will also improve visibility, creating a safer environment for employees by preventing trips and falls in the early morning or late evening hours when it’s dark outside.

Inside your warehouse, installing mirrors can help extend visibility into hard-to-reach areas or blind spots, such as around corners or across busy pedestrian intersections. This not only keeps workers safe as they move back and forth through the warehouse but also helps them keep an eye on areas that aren’t clearly visible (such as between aisles, where someone may be hiding or attempting to take inventory).

4. Incorporate lockable storage

If an unauthorized individual manages to gain access to your warehouse, then it’s important to make sure that the documents, materials, and supplies most crucial to your business operations are protected. An intruder may be able to get inside, but they won’t be able to get away with much else if your important assets are secure.

Guard important materials by keeping them in lockable storage when not in use. There are a variety of mobile and stationary options to choose from, including cabinets, wire cages, and partitions. These lockable storage solutions can also secure tools and equipment that are costly or cumbersome to replace.

5. Use security seals to prevent tampering

To secure warehouse materials, you can use cost-effective, tamper-resistant security seals to deter and detect unauthorized opening or access. The seals not only make it more difficult to open a container or device but also provide a visual indicator if the seal has been broken. When a worker happens upon a broken seal, they’ll know right away that theft, vandalism, or contamination has most likely occurred.

Based on what you need to protect, there are many security-seal options to choose from, including adjustable, padlock-style, metal, and plastic.

6. Set up gates around hazardous equipment

Secured gate systems keep bystanders away from potentially dangerous machines and ensure that only the employees who are qualified to access the space may do so.

This ensures protection for your workers as well as for authorized visitors who may be nearby, such as contractors, service providers, drivers, and salespeople. Although they have permission to be inside the warehouse, they probably haven’t gone through safety training and aren’t able to identify potentially dangerous machines.

Gates and guards made of security wire provide a trusted physical barrier while still offering clear visibility so you can see what—and who—is behind the barricade (and they can see you).

Take the next step to improve warehouse security

Are you ready to improve security at your facility? Contact Global Industrial’s in-house product experts today. We can answer your questions and help you find solutions that provide the layers of protection you need.

The information contained in this article is for informational, educational, and promotional purposes only and is based on information available as of the initial date of publication. It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, rules, codes and regulations. If there is any question or doubt in regard to any element contained in this article, please consult a licensed professional. Under no circumstances will Global Industrial be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on this article.