What should a commercial security assessment include?
A practical checklist for businesses, and for anyone asked to assess a site
Published · Last updated
A security assessment looks at a site the way someone trying to cause harm or steal would, and then at how the business would notice and respond. Done well, it tells you where to spend money and where a procedure change will do more than new equipment.
Use this checklist to scope an assessment, compare what providers offer, or review your own site.
Before the walk-through
A useful assessment starts with context, not cameras:
- What matters most: people, stock, cash, equipment, data, reputation, or keeping the business operating.
- What has already happened: previous incidents, near misses, insurance claims and what staff are worried about.
- How the site is used: opening hours, deliveries, contractors, after-hours access, public areas.
- What you already have: guards, alarms, cameras, access control, and the procedures that go with them.
Site access points
- Every entry and exit, including roller doors, fire exits, roof access, gates and shared entries.
- Condition of doors, frames, locks and hinges, and whether fire exits are alarmed or monitored.
- Fences, gates and boundaries: height, gaps, climbing aids and anything stored against them.
- How deliveries and visitors arrive, and whether that route bypasses controls.
- Areas where someone could wait unseen near an entrance.
CCTV coverage
- Whether each entry, exit and high-value area is covered, and whether the image would identify a person or only show that someone was there.
- Blind spots, obstructions, and cameras that face into the sun or bright lights.
- Night-time image quality, which is often very different from daytime.
- How long footage is kept, who can view and export it, and whether the recorder is secure.
- Signage and privacy obligations. For detailed questions, see questions to ask a CCTV installer.
Lighting
- Whether entrances, car parks, paths and loading areas are lit well enough for people to see and for cameras to record.
- Dark spots, failed lamps and lights blocked by trees or signage.
- Sensor lights: whether they trigger where they should and point in the right direction.
- Whether lighting helps staff feel safe arriving and leaving.
Alarm systems
- Which doors and areas are protected, and whether the zones match how the building is used now.
- Whether the alarm is monitored, who is notified, and what happens after an activation.
- False alarm history and its causes; frequent false alarms lead people to ignore real ones.
- Who holds codes, whether each user has their own, and whether codes are removed when people leave.
- Battery backup, communication path and when the system was last tested.
Keys and access control
- A current register of who holds which keys, cards, fobs and codes.
- What happens when a key is lost or someone leaves: rekeying, cancelling cards, changing codes.
- Whether master keys are restricted, and how spare keys are stored.
- Access levels and schedules on electronic systems, and whether they match current roles.
- Doors that are propped open, and whether the system reports it.
Staff and contractor procedures
- Opening and closing procedures, including who checks that the site is secure.
- Cash handling, if any, and how often cash is removed from the site.
- How visitors and contractors are signed in, supervised and signed out.
- Whether staff know what to do in an armed robbery, an aggressive customer situation or a break-in, and who to call.
- Induction for new staff and refresher training.
Incident reporting
- How staff report incidents and near misses, and whether they do.
- Who reviews reports, and whether patterns (times, areas, types of incident) are looked for.
- How reports reach police, insurers and security providers when needed.
- Whether footage and evidence are preserved promptly.
Review and maintenance
- A written summary of findings, ranked by risk, with practical recommendations and rough costs.
- Who is responsible for each action, and by when.
- A maintenance schedule for cameras, alarms, lighting and access control.
- A date to review the assessment, and triggers for an earlier review: a serious incident, a change in use, a renovation or new tenants.
Choosing someone to do the assessment
Ask what the assessment will include, what you will receive at the end, and whether the assessor also sells equipment or guarding. That isn’t necessarily a problem, but it’s worth knowing when you read the recommendations. In some states, giving security advice is itself a licensed activity; see how to check a security licence.
When you know what you need, browse security providers by service and area.