Installing CCTV to Protect Your Business: 4 Things to Consider

If you are planning to install a CCTV system in your business premises, you may think that all you need to do is to bolt a few cameras to the wall, wire them up to the power supply. This is incorrect. For your CCTV system to be truly useful, you will need to put a little more thought into the set-up. Below is a guide to 4 things you should consider.

The location 

When working out the best locations for your CCTV cameras, it is important to realise that the spot which first comes to mind may not be the best place to put a camera. Misplaced cameras can create blind-spots which can allow intruders to hide from CCTV. Ideally, you should use detailed plans for the exterior and interior of your building to work out the best spot for each camera. You should keep in mind the field of vision offered by each camera. Plot this onto the maps so you can identify any blind spots. Blindspots can be dealt with by installing a second camera which is positioned, so it looks back towards the first camera unit.

The lighting

The type of interior and exterior lighting used on your business premises can have a big impact on the operation of CCTV. For example, if your building is fitted with fluorescent lights, they may create a flicker which interferes with the CCTV image and high-intensity sodium lamps produce a yellow light which may distort the colours captured by the CCTV unit. For the best results, you should install LED lights. LED lights generate a clean and bright CCTV image.

The power supply

If thieves target your business, they may try to cut off the power supply before entering. By doing so, they will hope to disable the alarm and CCTV systems. You should plan for this eventuality by installing a backup generator which will be able to supply power to key pieces of security infrastructure if the main power supply fails.

The archive of recordings

Finally, you should consider how long you wish to keep CCTV recordings in an archive before you dispose of them. If you are only using the CCTV to protect you in the event of a break-in or an incident during business hours, you may wish to delete recordings after a short period. However, if you are recording in order to collect evidence of an ongoing crime, you should preserve all the recordings you make.

For more information, you should contact a security company today.

Share