During this time of uncertainty, if your business is closed due to COVID-19 orders, you may be concerned about break-ins, fire and other problems, but there are steps you can take to ease some worries. Whether you run a retail operation, restaurant, office or other business, there are certain rules you can follow.
Before and during the closure of your business, consider:
- Housekeeping:
- Remove garbage and any waste so it can be left for trash or recycling pickup.
- Conduct a final check of employee break rooms and all bathrooms to make sure they’re empty, small appliances have been unplugged and no fire hazards are apparent.
- Make sure the building is locked up and alarms are set:
- Vehicles and equipment should be located near the security lighting and positioned so that they can be seen from the roadway. All vehicles should be locked and the keys stored in a secure location.
- Provide the police department, the fire department, the alarm company, and utility companies with your emergency contact list.
- Let your monitoring alarm service know when the business is closed so that they can watch for unusual activity. Also, review your emergency call list and update it if necessary. If the alarm does sound, the alarm company will need to have the correct contact information.
- Shutting off utilities:
- Whenever possible, power should be turned off to any nonessential areas of the business, as this reduces not only power usage but the risk of electrical fires. The circuits for the building’s lighting and alarms should be left on, though, so these vital elements can be maintained.
- In office areas, equipment and chargers should be unplugged.
- Small appliances in the break room should be disconnected and refrigerators should be emptied.
- Stored goods or stock should be secured.
- Undergo a periodic site inspection:
- Plan regular checks on the premises by designated employees to look for hazards and repair as needed.
- Off-site video access to surveillance systems is another measure your company can use to monitor the site. Update who has access to these systems. If any problems are observed, these individuals should have a list of phone numbers to call to report them.
- Review and update communication methods with employees so everyone knows what to do and whom to contact if needed.
