Business Tips
General Commercial Crime & Fire Prevention
Protecting Your Computer Equipment & Data
Business Interruption Prevention
Contractors' Loss Prevention Tips
Commercial Vehicles Loss Prevention Tips
Slip and Fall Loss Prevention Tips
General Commercial Crime and Fire Prevention
- Ensure that all exterior doors have deadbolt locks with a minimum one inch bolt into the strike plate.
- Secure exposed exterior door hinge pins to prevent their removal.
- Protect all grade floor glass through the use of bars, metal screens or burglary resistant glazing materials.
- Install a burglar alarm system that is monitored offsite. Look for a system certified by the Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC).
- Continually check for unsafe work conditions and practices, and take prompt corrective action.
- Provide serviced, multi-purpose fire extinguishers on your premises and instruct all staff in their use.
Protecting Your Computer Equipment & Data
- Clamp or lock PCs to desks/work stations. Security kits are available at a nominal cost.
- Back-up data and programs on a regular basis and store them offsite in a secure location.
- Laptop computers are portable and easy targets for theft. Do not leave them unsecured or unattended.
- Maintain records of serial numbers for all of your computer equipment.
Business Interruption Prevention
- Employ the services of a professional accountant to:
- Prepare financial statements.
- Perform an annual audit of your books.
- Maintain a list of secondary suppliers of materials in the event your primary supplier suffers a loss.
- Be prepared with a plan of action of how you will continue to service your customers while your premises are being repaired after a loss. This will help you to avoid losing your customer base. Consider availability of temporary premises where you can resume operations immediately.
- Reduce the physical and moral hazards that could cause loss to your business.
- Duplicate your business records and store them off-site; in the event that your premises are damaged, you will have documents to substantiate any business interruption loss.
Contractors' Loss Prevention Tips
- Focus on pre-job and pre-task planning. The principle of planning the work and working the plan should be followed.
- All tools and equipment should be kept in a locked area at all times when not in use.
- All tools should be stamped with an identification number to assist in recovery. Tools should be painted with bright, easily recognizable colours to assist their easy identification.
- Any onsite storage of materials should be in a secure storage area. Where the materials are considered a high target, they should be kept inside a building in a locked area or brought to the site only when they are needed.
- Warning signs should be posted limiting access and indicating the safety equipment required to gain entry.
- All electrical cords that pass through pedestrian areas should be secured so that tripping is avoided.
- All mud or water on public traffic areas should be cleaned regularly.
- The local utilities should be contacted to locate underground services in the event that any excavations are to be performed.
- All flammable liquids used should be stored in approved safety containers.
- All hotwork should be controlled. Combustibles should be removed at least 11 metres from the hotwork. If this is not possible non-combustible shields should be used. A fire watch should be provided for at least a half-hour after the hotwork is completed. All hotwork permit regulations must be followed.
- All combustible refuse created during the work should be cleaned up regularly. Oily rags should be separated and stored in metal containers with tight fitting lids.
- Fire extinguishers of the appropriate type should be available at all times.
- Certificates of liability should be obtained from all subcontractors to ensure they are maintaining adequate liability coverage.
- All new equipment should be tested and inspected when the work is completed. Customers should sign off the job once complete.
- Ensure that the project complies with all applicable codes and standards.
- Records of all jobs including plans, testing documents and approvals should be maintained.
- Avoid overloading of electrical outlets, particularly in older buildings equipped with fuses instead of circuit breakers.
- If existing electrical service is inadequate, ensure that any required electrical modifications are done by a professional electrician.
- Ensure that life and safety features such as fire alarms, exit signs and emergency lights are operational and serviced as per applicable fire code specifications.
- Clean all spills or wet floors immediately, post signs warning of wet or damp floors and check floor surfaces for potential hazards on a regular basis. Non-slip rugs should be used during the winter months.
Commercial Vehicles Loss Prevention Tips
- Be SELECTIVE when hiring drivers for your vehicles by obtaining pre-employment checks on all employees. Your vehicles should be suitable for the type of work you do and the relative experience of your drivers. A safety conscious driver, with a clean driving and operating record, is the key to reducing the risk of personal injury to the driver and passengers as well as any damage or injury to others.
- Never store combustible material such as cardboard or paper near heaters or electrical equipment and remove combustible waste on a regular basis.
- In sprinklered buildings, keep stock more than 18 inches below the sprinkler heads, so as not to interfere with the system's effectiveness in the event of a fire.
- Avoid overloading electrical outlets, particularly in older buildings equipped with fuses instead of circuit breakers.
- Keep all of your stock off the floor, stored on skids, shelves, or racks.
- Make sure the front, rear and interior of your business premises are well lit, particularly when closed for business.
- Arrange the interior layout of the store so that the till area is clearly visible from the exterior of the building.
- Limit the amount of cash in the till by using a safe or money-limiting device.
- If your store is open long hours, consider the installation of closed circuit television cameras and hold-up alarms.
- Make regular bank deposits, but vary the timing of the deposits and the route taken.
- Install anti-shoplifting devices and surveillance equipment or keep high priced merchandise under lock and key in display cases.
- Ensure that life and safety features such as fire alarms, exit signs and emergency lights are operational and serviced as per applicable fire code specifications.
- Do not block exits with stock or equipment. Ensure that all exit doors are unlocked during store hours.
Slip and Fall Loss Prevention Tips
- Inspect the interior of your premises on a regular basis for unsafe conditions that could lead to a slip & fall loss. Maintain a daily log of when the inspection was done, what conditions were noted and what corrective action was taken.
- Floors should be kept clean and in good repair at all times, with loose or defective flooring being replaced immediately.
- Ensure that aisles are kept clear and free of fallen merchandise or stock. (e.g. fruit, vegetables, clothes etc.)
- During periods of inclement weather, all entrances should have mats or rugs to help keep the floor clean and dry. Damaged mats should be replaced as soon as possible.
- Non-slip wax should be used on floor surfaces, where required.
- Water and other spills should be mopped up immediately and a Caution-Wet Floor sign should be posted.
- For surfaces that are consistently slippery, specialized non-slip epoxy coatings or non-skid flooring materials may be used.
- For spills involving oil or other industrial materials, absorbent, non-combustible cleaning materials should be used.
- Ensure that all entranceways and aisles are clear of obstructions and/or promotional displays.
- Inspect the exterior of your premises on a regular basis for unsafe conditions that could lead to a slip & fall loss. Maintain a daily log of when the inspection was done, what conditions were noted and what corrective action was taken.
- Any damage to stairs, sidewalks and pavements should be repaired as soon as possible, with signs and barriers posted, until such time as repairs are completed.
- A snow and ice removal program should be implemented and adhered to, with a single individual having responsibility for the program.
- Have the appropriate equipment, tools and materials available for use by your staff, in the case of a weather related emergency e.g. shovels, salt, sand, etc.
- Professional snow removal contractors should be contracted to plow, sand and salt your parking and walkway facilities. Ensure that the contractor keeps a comprehensive log of the work performed.
- Clean gutters and downspouts and ensure that melted snow/ice is directed away from sidewalks and walkways. Check that exterior lighting is adequate and check on a regular basis for malfunctioning light fixtures.
- Establish and maintain a daily garbage removal program, whereby the walkways and sidewalks are swept and the debris removed on a regular basis.
