Is your business or commercial building shut down due to the Covid-19 Pandemic? There are a number of things that you can do to protect your building and assets during this temporary closure.
One of the most important things you can do is to check in regularly by physically visiting the premises (making sure that you maintain social distancing on your way to and from the premises).
Not only does this act as a deterrent to vandals and those who might target your location for theft, but you can also identify unexpected perils before they do longer-lasting damage. Daily or every other day visits are recommended. Here are some other loss prevention tips to help ensure you can re-open again as soon as you’re able:
- Ensure exterior lighting is operable by replacing light-bulbs in interior and exterior security lights. It is also a good time to check/test exit & emergency lighting.
- Check all smoke and CO alarms and change batteries so that you are sure they will work when they need to.
- If practical, consider shutting off the water supply inside the building to minimize the risk of flooding should the hot water heater, radiant heating system or plumbing lines fail. (Note: this should never be done during the heating season!)
- Move stock and display items away from doors and windows to reduce the temptation for a smash and grab by thieves.
- Double check all locks on windows and doors to confirm that they are secure.
- Remove any monies such as daily floats and petty cash reserves from the building and deposit into your bank. Temporarily remove all other valuables to an off-site and secure location.
- Consider installing a monitored security system and/or a wireless surveillance system that will send alerts to your phone when motion is detected.
- This would be a perfect time to check and record inventory and make a list of business assets on premise, in case of a future loss. Photographs and videos of what is in the building can help immensely in the event of a loss.
- Check with your insurance broker about what is covered and not in the event of an extended period of business closure. It may seem obvious to you with the current situation and Covid-19, but keeping your broker in the loop regarding occupancy conditions of your property will ensure that proper coverage can continue under your policy.
In many ways, these are certainly unprecedented times and there is great uncertainty about how soon this might be over. Whether the duration is long or short, we want you to know that we’re here to help. If you have any loss prevention related questions, please feel free to reach out and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. At the moment, we have suspended all in-person or at-location inspections, but would be happy to answer questions remotely or schedule an in-person inspection once this is all over.
