Warehouses can be a lucrative target for criminals as they are used to store bulk amounts of valuable goods as well as expensive equipment and are often left unattended outside of operating hours. Failing to implement basic security measures and systems in your warehouse leaves your high-value items vulnerable to criminals.
Unfortunately, with such a large space to cover and a wide inventory range, let alone the number of people that come in and out of the space each day, warehouses can be particularly difficult to effectively secure against theft, both internal and external. Read on for our top 6 tips to secure high-value items in your warehouse.
Top 6 Tips To Secure High-Value Items In Your Warehouse
1) Keep It Out Of Reach
One of the simplest and easiest to implement ways of securing high-value items in your warehouse is by moving them out of reach. Storing bulk items on upper levels of your shelving or racking systems will make access harder, requiring the use of a forklift or order picker.
This reduces the number of people who would be able to access the goods, rather than giving anyone who walks past access to goods when stored on the ground. This helps to prevent both internal and external theft as material handling equipment is needed to gain access to your high-value inventory.
2) Create Secure Aisles
Another way to protect high-value inventory through location only is by creating secure aisles. These can be aisles that are located within view of supervisor’s stations or that are easily visible from different areas within the warehouse.
For added security, secure aisles can be partitioned off using mobile gates to control access and prevent site visitors from easily accessing the area.
3) Use Secured Cage Stillages
For high-value inventory that is typically stored in open shelves or racking systems, secured cage stillages may be the solution. Caged stillages can be used to store bulk amounts of high-value goods without affecting storage capacity as they are stackable.
Protected by a secure steel cage, products stored in a caged stillage can be locked away to prevent unauthorised access. Additionally, items stored in stacked stillages stored off of the ground may only be accessed using a forklift, making it far more difficult for intruders to steal them.
4) Use Security Cages to Secure Racking Areas
Similar to secured cage stillages, racking security cages provide a physical barrier between would-be thieves and your valuable goods. However, racking security cages can be attached directly to the racking system to create a completely fenced-off area. Macrack racking security cages are made with high-grade security mesh with magnetic locking doors, making it next to impossible to gain access to secured areas without permission.
This also gives you the option to add a card reader lock to keep track of each person who enters and exits the secure area.
5) Monitor High-Risk Areas With Access Control
Installing an access control system is another way to prevent internal and external theft, as you will be able to prevent unauthorised access to high-risk areas. Additionally, an access control system allows you to keep track of who has access to high-value inventory as well as monitor all movement in and out of access-controlled areas.
This will not only discourage employees and visitors from stealing as they will have to swipe their access card to enter the area, but it will also help to narrow down who was involved in the event that products are stolen by an authorised person.
6) Install Motion Detection Cameras
Motion detection cameras will ensure that your warehouse is protected at all times with 24/7 video surveillance. Protecting against employee theft as well as out-of-hours break-ins, your security camera system will send an alert directly to your phone when a threat is detected.
A professionally installed CCTV system will ensure that all areas of your premises are protected, providing quality video surveillance even in low-light areas. Some advanced security camera systems also come with facial and licence plate recognition with the capability to distinguish people and vehicles from other moving objects for more accurate threat detection.
Warehouse Security Brisbane
When it comes to warehouse storage, Macrack are the experts with over 35 years of industry experience. We offer a free warehouse racking design service, taking into account your inventory, space, and warehouse processes to create the best racking layout for your warehouse.
We also offer high-quality caged stillages and racking security cages – ideal for keeping your high-value inventory protected against theft. Call Macrack today on 1800 048 821 for all of your customised and secure warehouse storage Brisbane and Australia wide.