What is Keyholding and Why is it Important for Businesses?

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You must focus on certain areas to ensure your business runs smoothly and is profitable, one of them being security. The importance of business security simply cannot be overlooked, and business owners must take all the necessary steps and measures to ensure the business remains safe from all kinds of threats.

Security locks, alarm systems, CCTV cameras, and access control systems are some of the most effective ways to keep your business safe and secure. They help monitor activity around the business premises and keep unauthorised access at bay.

For after-hours security when the business is empty and unattended, you may benefit from a professional keyholding service to protect your business premises from safety threats and being a target for criminal activity. Keyholding is where a security specialist has a pair of keys to your business premises and can intervene in times of emergencies to ensure the safety of the property, its assets, as well as the employees.

Read on to learn more about keyholding, why it is important for your business, situations where businesses can benefit from it, and the benefits of outsourcing vs in-house keyholding:

INTRODUCTION TO KEYHOLDING SERVICES

Keyholding, as the name suggests, is a type of security service that involves a trusted third party holding a pair of keys to your property. It is especially beneficial to business owners and property managers at times when the premises are empty and more vulnerable to safety and security threats.

A professional keyholding service is important for securing your business when you are away from the premises and can’t keep an eye on it, such as after business hours. It can also be highly useful when you do not have monitoring services for your security systems such as your alarm systems and CCTV cameras. Through a keyholding service, you can have a professional visit your property and check what’s going on.

One of the top benefits of a keyholding service is the protection it offers to a business and its assets, including the property and the people in it. Security and safety threats don’t just adversely affect a business’s regular operations but can also put its employees and clients at risk. This can lead to legal proceedings and the business’s reputation getting tarnished.

With the right keyholding service and trained professionals in charge of your safety and security needs, you can be prepared to deal with any potential threats and ensure 24/7 security for your property and assets.

A trained keyholder is a specialist individual or group of individuals who has the following responsibilities:

Keeping your keys safe and secure,
Rapidly responding to any alarm activations and safety and security threats,
Checking the property for any signs of entry,
Informing the police and emergency services in case of a burglary or fire,
Filing a detailed report of the incident,
Ensuring that the business is secure before leaving.

KEYHOLDING AND ALARM MONITORING SERVICES

An alarm system is an essential part of business security as it picks up on any strange and unusual activity and triggers an audible alarm, often accompanied by flashing lights, to both alert people of the threat and scare away any potential intruders trying to break into the property.

Security alarm systems work using a series of sensors and can be placed in all key areas of the business to detect any suspicious movement or activity. Some of the most common types of sensors used in alarm systems include motion sensors, infrared sensors, glass break sensors, and door and window sensors.

Commercial alarm systems can be used for detecting security threats such as burglaries, break-ins, and unauthorised access. Specialised fire alarm systems come equipped with heat and smoke detectors to detect the first signs of a fire and alert the occupants of the building and the owners of the business of the threat so that they can take immediate action.

An alarm can be triggered due to several reasons like criminal activity such as break-ins or vandalism, or safety threats such as a fire. There are also instances of false alarm activations that can be triggered by user error such as entering the wrong code, setting off the sensors, or forgetting to turn off the alarm when entering the property, and by technical issues such as faulty wiring, weak batteries, or poorly installed systems.

In the case of professional alarm monitoring services, a team of professionals is always keeping an eye on your business’s alarm systems and is trained to provide rapid response in case of an emergency. When an alarm is triggered, an alert is immediately sent to the Alarm Receiving Centre. There, trained professionals assess the situation and determine both the nature and urgency of the alarm.

If necessary, a team of trained security personnel is dispatched to the location to investigate and manage the situation. A thorough investigation is conducted to identify the cause of the alarm and steps are taken to secure the premises.

Professional alarm monitoring and keyholding services can work together to offer a comprehensive security solution to businesses. An alarm monitoring service works to provide rapid response to alarm activations in the event of a security or safety breach. Keyholding, on the other hand, is responsible for your property’s keys and can provide instant access to the security personnel on the premises during a security or safety breach.

The benefit of having both services is that the security personnel and emergency services will be quickly able to access the premises using the keys held by the keyholding service in case of alarm activation, wasting no time in the process.

HOW KEYHOLDING SUPPORTS BUSINESS SECURITY

Security is an important part of running a successful business. Business owners create an environment for the business to thrive and grow by taking the required steps for safety and security. Some of the most common and successful ways to do so is to install commercial security systems such as alarms, CCTV cameras, and access control to keep all kinds of safety and security threats under control.

Keyholding is another effective security measure that supports business security and helps always keep it safe, even after business hours. Here are the reasons your business may need a keyholding service:

Emergency Response

In the event of an emergency, a keyholding service can respond instantly and take the required action to address and contain the situation in the best possible way to prevent loss or damage. Since the keyholders have a pair of the property’s keys, they can also provide access to emergency services in case of an alarm activation, especially if it happens after business hours.

24/7 Availability

A professional keyholding service operates round the clock and assists businesses at any time during the day and night. This is particularly beneficial when the property is empty such as during the night and after working hours. It provides reassurance that the business is looked after and that any alarm activations will be responded to and properly investigated.

Professional Handling

Keyholders are trained professionals who know how to deal with various security and safety threats and can handle different kinds of situations in a safe manner minimising the risk of injury and damage to property. Their expertise ensures that your business and its security are in safe, capable hands.

Compliance With Regulations

Taking the required safety and security measures for your business is important to stay compliant with the law. This includes implementing effective security systems and training the employees and staff members to follow security and safety procedures and protocols. Since professional keyholding ensures guaranteed emergency response, 24/7 availability, and professional handling of safety and security breaches, it can help businesses meet regulatory requirements.

SITUATIONS WHERE KEYHOLDING IS ESSENTIAL FOR BUSINESSES

Since keyholding involves a trained third party having access to your property in times of emergencies and handling the situation safely and professionally, it can be essential for businesses in several scenarios.

A few instances where a keyholder having access to your property may prove beneficial for businesses include:

Break-ins
Intrusions
Burglaries
Fire
Smoke
Gas leak
Flooding

An alarm activated due to an intrusion after business hours can be assessed and investigated by a professional keyholder, and the necessary action taken to eliminate the threat.

A fire alarm activated after business hours due to a fire breaking out on the property can be contained if immediate action is taken at the right time. If a fire breaks out when the property is empty and unattended, a professional keyholding service can guarantee instant response and access to the property for emergency services to prevent the fire from spreading.

Other situations where keyholding services can prove beneficial for businesses are properties that hold valuable inventory such as warehouses, retail stores that are susceptible to break-ins and burglaries, and businesses that are in high-risk areas.

BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING KEYHOLDING VS. IN-HOUSE

Some businesses nominate a staff member such as a general manager as an emergency responder to be in charge of the property’s keys and act as a keyholder, as opposed to outsourcing the service and hiring a professional keyholder.

The in-house keyholder is responsible for safeguarding the property’s keys and responding to alerts they receive in the event of an alarm trigger. These alerts are typically triggered outside of business hours and the appointed staff members are required to attend to them, regardless of the time and situation.

This isn’t the best option in terms of safety and effectiveness, both for the business and the nominated keyholder, for several reasons. It would require a staff member, who isn’t professionally trained to handle safety and security threats, to commute to the business’s location, which may be a remote site, and assess the situation at odd hours.

It could also mean finding themselves in the middle of a criminal activity upon reaching the site. This can put the safety of the staff member acting as a keyholder at serious risk and is also not the most ideal solution for the business’s security.

Outsourcing keyholding services, on the other hand, is the best way to go about this since it involves professionals handling your keys and responding to alarm activations. If you truly wish to protect your business and implement the best security solutions, professional keyholding is the way to go.

It may seem like a good option for many companies to simply hand over the keys to a trusted employee, but it is certainly not the most ideal. Here are all the benefits of outsourcing keyholding services from a professional company vs. nominating an in-house keyholder for the job:

Trained Professionals

Outsourcing keyholding services means hiring a trained professional to take over the keyholding responsibilities and do the needful in the event of an alarm trigger. They are experts in the field and know how to deal with safety and security threats without putting themselves, others, or property in danger. Their knowledge and experience give them an upper hand over the business’s employees when it comes to handling such situations.

Proper Security Procedures

In the event of an alarm trigger, a professional keyholder follows proper security procedures to ensure that the situation is handled in the best way possible. They have the necessary skills and training to deal with various threats and can assess the level of risk and take the required steps to mitigate it. For instance, if the alarm trigger was due to a false alarm, they would inspect the property and secure it properly before leaving. If an intruder is present on the property, they would know not to engage with them, especially if they are armed, and would instantly call emergency services.

Technical Knowledge

Keyholders need to have technical knowledge so that they can fix any issues with the alarm system that they witness during their visit. If a false alarm is triggered due to a technical issue in the system, the professional keyholder will have the skill and expertise to fix the issue and reset the system, if needed. Leaving a faulty system as is would put the business property at risk and make it susceptible to criminal activity.

Guaranteed Availability

As opposed to in-house keyholding which can never guarantee that the person will be available to respond to alarm activations, a professional keyholding service offers 24/7 availability, regardless of the time. The professional keyholder will always be available and make sure to go to the property when needed without wasting any time.

Reliability

Your property’s keys are to be always kept safe since whoever has access to them has access to the property. Leaving the keys with an employee and entrusting them to keep them safe is risky because there’s no guarantee that they won’t be lost or stolen. A professional keyholder will leave no stone unturned to not only keep your property safe but also safeguard the keys and keep them away from the wrong hands.

Full Responsibility

When opting for in-house keyholding, the business owners or managers are typically in charge of the keys and responding to alarm activations. This puts an added responsibility on them and can take away from the time that they rather spend on business operations. Also, alarm alerts sent to them in the middle of the night can disturb them and affect their productivity at work the following day. Opting for a professional keyholding service frees up the business employees’ time and leaves the job to the trained experts.

HOW CALDER SECURITY CAN HELP

Calder Security has been working in the security industry since 1976 and offers complete commercial security alarm system services from installation and maintenance of the alarm to monitoring, key holding, and police response.

If your alarm gets triggered at night, it may be a false alarm, a fault in the system, or a genuine break-in. The issue is that there’s no way of knowing the reason behind it until you go there to check it out. Not only can this be highly inconvenient to do in the middle of the night, but at worst, you could come face to face with burglars.

If this isn’t something you wish to put yourself or your staff up for then professional keyholding could be a great solution, and Calder Security is here to help.

In the event of an alarm activation, SIA-approved guards are dispatched to your premises to check it out where they conduct a thorough survey of the site, both inside and outside. They are also trained to deal with securing the site following an intrusion, including basic building repairs, changing locks, and resetting the alarm.

All aspects of our service conform to the relevant regulations and standards set by the professional bodies of the industry including the SSAIB, SIA, and the police service. We only use a reliable SIA guard service with whom we have a long-standing relationship, and we oversee all monitoring and guard response services.

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