Key holding is an incredibly important service that covers insurance, but why do you need it?
A keyholding company will, in essence, be the first to respond to an alarm activation on your premises, given you have a service ongoing with the company. They monitor the situation 24/7 and any unexplained changes to the state of the alarm will be responded to by a visit from the keyholding company. This eliminates the possibility of getting hurt and minimises the threat of danger that is posed to yourself or employees who would otherwise have to respond to the incident. Due to ACPO policy, and with the likes of Health & Safety, the insurance complications and Corporate Manslaughter Act, the use of a key holding service is better ever more common in both the workplace and at home.
It’s incredibly important for small business’ that an intruder alarm is used. This is monitored, having at least two different key holders for the business that are available for contact 24/7, incase of an event that leads to the activation of the intruder alarm.
It’s important for a keyholder to:
- Be reachable 24/7
- Respond to the alarm activation ASAP
- Always be in possession of emergency contact information
- Understand how to operate the alarm system
The following is the advice for key holders across the UK:
- When attending the premises, you should:
- Let someone know where you are
- Try to keep a mobile phone on you at all times
- Carry a torch
- Take an approach from the front
- Try to get someone else to attend the premises with you
- Avoid the dark areas of the building
It’s also good to know that given there are any strange vehicles at the premises, or in case there are any lights on that seem unusual, it’s advised to ring the police instead of entering the building. Also, if you check the premises to find that it’s insecure, do not attempt to enter the building. This is another scenario in which you should call the police.
If the property seems to be in good order and nothing strikes you as suspicious, then enter and check the rest of the building. Using the code, reset the alarm or call out an engineer if necessary.
If you’re the key holder of the business, you should always know the whereabouts of the said business owner, should you need to contact them at anytime of the day. If their property is broken/damaged, it’s the responsibility of the key holder to contact them on behalf of the business in order for repairs to take place.
The responsibilities that are placed on the head of keyholders are vast, so the business choosing key patrols should choose professionals to carry out the job.
Contact us for more information on keyholding in Birmingham.