We are approaching that time of year – the dark nights are drawing in as the clocks are about to go back (on 31 October) and there is a frosty nip in the air. SEP is urging businesses on the Park to ensure that they have robust security and safety measures in place. Plan ahead with us as prevention is always better than cure.
Your Duty of Care
In fact, the law requires a prevention better than cure approach so far as is reasonable in the circumstances with respect to your property, visitors and employees. For example –
Occupiers Liability
If you occupy a property you have a duty of care to all visitors to ensure it is reasonably safe. (Unless you are aware of a specific danger. If so, you must highlight this danger.) This duty applies to anyone who is visiting the premises legally. For example, this includes a customer or a post worker delivering letters. Furthermore, you must take additional steps to care for the safety of a child visitor, because children can be less careful than adults.
There is no duty of care for the safety of a trespasser unless there are dangers that you are (or should be) aware of.
If there are any dangers on the premises, you should make any visitor aware of these dangers. If you don’t and someone is injured, the occupier could be blamed even if the injured person didn’t have the occupier’s permission to visit the property.
For example, an icy car park which you might reasonably have been expected to grit.
Health and safety at work
In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, managers have a duty of care for employees. They are responsible for the safety and well-being of vulnerable Lone Workers.
For example, a lone worker crossing a dark car park at night to reach their car.
How can we help? See below
Planning ahead with SEP will assist us in keeping you safe, secure and protected and help you meet your legal responsibilities. Prevention is better than cure!
This information on the duty of care is for the purposes of general awareness only. It does not constitute legal or professional advice. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.
How can SEP help?
People
- We can monitor your CCTV cameras in our state-of-the-art control room. you can read more about our recent upgrades to the control room here.
- Also, we can monitor your fire and security alarms.
- Do you have vulnerable lone workers? We can provide a Lone Worker escort service from their place of work to their vehicle. This means that your lone worker will be accompanied by one of our fully licenced and uniformed security personnel. Our personnel are equipped with communication to our local Control Room on the Enterprise Park and its associated CCTV.
- Are you or an employee working alone in your building for a while? you can set up regular welfare checks with our 24-hour Control Room. This can also be backed up with regular site visits during your stay if you so wish.
- What about those dark mornings? We can also ensure your building entrance lights are turned on prior to your arrival at your building.
Property – Premises
- We can monitor your fire and security alarms.
- If SEP are key holders for your building, we will enter and turn off any lights which your employees have left on. However, if we do not provide you with key holding services go to key holding services for more information.
- Unfortunately, dark nights and dark mornings can also be icy. Working with our partners, Mitie, we can provide a gritting service for your site to ensure people can use your site safely.
- Empty properties are particularly vulnerable at this time. We can carry out vacant property checks to check for burst pipes, squatters, damage etc. Click here for more information about this service.
- At the moment, the autumnal falling leaves mean more site maintenance. Leaves like ice can be very slippery. Our Landscapers can help tidy up those fallen leaves to ensure people can use your site safely. However, if we do not provide you with landscaping and maintenance services go to landscaping and maintenance for more information.
Two images taken at night by our security cameras
These photos illustrate the detail and clarity of image our security officers see at night and which can be captured.
Prevention is better than cure
Finally, if you see any suspicious behaviour in the dark nights, we would urge you to contact our control room immediately as we are the eyes and ears of the park
For a free security review please contact us.
If you are happy with our service, could you please give us a positive google review. It will really help prospective customers to feel more confident in choosing us. You can do that here. Thank you
If you would like more information please contact us. Also you can connect with us on LinkedIn.