Before you use your workplace surveillance cameras, you will need to be clear with a lot of things, with yourself, with your management, and with your workforce. Ask yourself first: why do you want to have workplace surveillance cameras? Are you suspecting thefts? Do you think that you can curb theft and harassment? When you have worked this out well enough for your objectives to be clear and rational, then you can start bringing it up with upper level management. At this point, you need to formulate rules for using the cameras.

Lastly, explain to your workforce why they are being watched, and what will constitute wrongdoing. This will clear things up so that you don’t end up with a paranoid workforce, and you have people who understand exactly what is being done. Assure your workforce that you are not going to release the footage from your workplace surveillance cameras and that if anything should happen, it will be between you, the police, and the persons or persons involved. It is important for you to be clear about all these rules so that you do not end up alienating your workers or bringing even more chaos into your office.

When using surveillance cameras, you may also want to put up some dummy cameras that actually have no feed. Although this can bring more money into the equation, dummy cameras can help you deter workplace crimes, since people are not sure when or where they are being watched. Naturally, you should not tell people which cameras are dummies and which are not, but you should simply warn people that whatever they do, they are being watched and that they should be on their best behavior at all times.

Next, prohibit people from touching the cameras, and count it as wrongdoing. Not only can they damage cameras, but people can also find out which cameras are dummies and which are the real thing. You will want to keep up your disguise for as long as possible. Moreover, you want your workers to not mind the cameras and to act as though they weren’t there. You also do not want your workers to attach anything that can interfere with the camera feed.

Lastly, make sure that you invest in the best cameras for your workplace. You may want to have a central room that is devoted entirely to monitoring your workplace, and to which all camera footage is fed. Make sure that only professionals and a select group of people are able to enter this room. Not only will this ensure worker privacy, it can also help you have a more secure workforce that will trust in you and your judgment.

Steve Thibeault is the author and owner of this blog and website.

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Install alarms
Alarms can be incredibly useful for preventing intruders from entering your home. If you must leave your kids at home alone, make sure that they are safe within. Alarms could warn your children of a possible intrusion and they could call for help. Alarms could also alert a security company (in case you’re subscribed to this type of service) to send out authorities to check on your children.

Use fire alarms
Over 600 children under the age of 14 perish in fires each year, mainly because they get trapped inside a home. You could prevent your child from becoming part of this statistic by installing fire alarms. Make sure that fire alarms are sensitive enough to detect smoke and loud enough to wake up your kids in case they’re sleeping.

Install home security cameras
Security cameras can deter a possible attack or intrusion. Potential burglars or criminals will be discouraged from entering your home if they see that there is a security camera installed.

Some of these systems may also allow remote monitoring, although the distance from your home to another point may be limited. Nevertheless, this type of home security gadget will help alert you in case your kids are in imminent danger.

Teach kids practical self-defense tactics
Although enrolling your kids in self-defense class could help, there are other ways you can help protect them. You could, for example, train them to do the following:

- call 911 or any emergency number in case they suspect danger
- call your number or any other number of a trusted person if they need help
- seek the safest place in the house where they will be secured until help arrives
- use a designated escape route to get as far away from a possible attacker and seek help

Teach them preparedness
You could buy all the home security gadgets you can afford but nothing can protect your kids as well as being physically and mentally prepared. This is critical in case no grownup is present to offer assistance or guidance. For example, you could teach them how to use a fire escape in case a fire breaks out or to keep their wits about them. Having an emergency phone and a list of emergency numbers on hand will also be very helpful in case they need to call for help.

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