The Business of CCTV

People immediately think of Security when CCTV is mentioned. Whilst it comes as no surprise that this is a leading reason to have surveillance on site, there are multiple other ways that having one camera and alarm system can be beneficial to your business. Installing a bespoke system that encompass production processes, health and safety commitments and equipment monitoring will ensure that surveillance works with you to make managing a businesses easier and more streamlined.

When deciding to install CCTV at a business site (including farms, shops, and industrial sites) the following 10 point guide should be followed:

1) IDENTIFY A NEED

That you have identified a need for CCTV and it is the best solution to a potential issue – some of the options for utilising a surveillance system to work best for you are listed below:

2) PERMISSIONS

If you are renting, make sure that you have permission from the person who owns the buildings to attach fixings to them. Most landlords are happy to oblige, as CCTV will protect their assets as well as yours, and it may lower insurance costs.

3) RESPONSIBILITY

Ensure that you have an individual who is responsible for the CCTV system, a Data Controller, for updating policies and procedures, and who can respond to requests for downloads – from the police or from individuals. By having a surveillance system that may record members of the public or staff members, requests for recordings (Subject Access Requests, abbreviated to SARs) may occur. We provide remote and in person support for downloads.

4) CAMERA PLACEMENT

Ensure that cameras are placed in accordance with ICO guidelines and only captures what you need it to. We can give advise on this, as it will be different depending on what your business is and where you are recording.

As an example – wanting to record audio as well as images requires clear and obvious justification in order to do. The process behind deciding and implementing on this must be written down, reviewed frequently to ensure it is still relevant, and stopped as soon as the justification for doing so stops.

5) TRAINING

Make sure that the system operator is competent in using the system. Training is included as standard with our installations, and we can provide in person and remote support whenever it is required.

6) QUALITY

Ensure that the equipment installed provides images that are clear and of high quality. The ICO guidelines for installing CCTV require this, as the captured images are only going to be useful in an event if the image quality and clarity is good. We design bespoke systems to your specifications, using the latest technologies and equipment.

7) SECURITY

Footage is securely kept & the system is checked over regularly to identify faults. Our systems are encrypted and overwrite automatically after a set period, and our servicing and maintenance packages include continuous health monitoring, which alerts you to potential issues promptly.

8) INFORM

Ensure individuals entering site are clearly informed that you use CCTV. We provide signage with our installations.

9) REGISTRATION

Make sure to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Visit the ICO’s website for more information on pricing and business exemption criteria. https://ico.org.uk/ 

10) MAINTENANCE

Make sure that your system continues to perform by completing regular system checks. Checking the system’s functionality monthly, and cleaning the equipment twice a year is recommended. The nature of modern CCTV means that you may not need to view camera images unless an event happens, but many factors such as overgrown foliage, changing uses of areas, and spider webs can render the images you wanted to download useless if regular checks are not completed. We offer affordable maintenance and servicing packages and are happy to take on existing systems.