CCTV – an initialism standing for “closed-circuit television” – offers a broad range of well-documented benefits. CCTV systems typically comprise a camera, lens, monitor and recorder; they are a proven solution for a variety of purposes, including the detection and deterrence of crime, as well as the monitoring of workers at a given premises.
The latest available data makes clear just how crucial a role CCTV systems play for many businesses. The UK Government’s 2023 Crime Victimisation Survey (CVS) found that an estimated 26% of all business premises in England and Wales – approximately 409,000 sites – had been victims of a CVS crime during the previous 12 months.
According to that survey, theft was the most prevalent offence type experienced by businesses, being cited by 14% of victims. This was followed in the “ranking” by burglary, including attempted burglary (8%); vandalism (8%); and assaults or threats against employees or customers (7%).
However, while many business owners are motivated to invest in a CCTV system in the first place due to crime concerns, not all of them necessarily consider (or fully understand) the insurance implications of installing CCTV at a business site.
In this article, then, our specialists in CCTV video surveillance at DTS London will take a closer look at those implications.
How does CCTV help business?
CCTV systems are not – of course – only installed at business premises with insurance considerations in mind. Below are some of the advantages that a well-designed and installed CCTV surveillance system can bring for a commercial organisation:
- It can help reduce crime
If an intruder at a business site becomes aware that they are under surveillance, they may be deterred from committing a crime – such as stealing business assets or causing damage to the premises – at all.
They will know, after all, that with their face and actions being recorded on camera, there will be a greater chance of them being recognised, and subsequently caught and brought to justice.
- It can provide evidence to help prosecute criminals
Inevitably, some trespassers at a commercial site – even if they become aware of CCTV cameras pointing towards them – won’t be put off from committing a crime.
Fortunately, if this situation does come to pass at a given business site, the CCTV system can at least record clear evidence of the criminal’s actions. The captured footage can then serve as evidence to help maximise the likelihood of a successful prosecution.
- It can help enhance the safety of everyone at the business premises
Many different people are likely to visit and engage with a business site during any particular day. There will, of course, be the employees of the business who might be based at the premises right through the day, but there are also likely to be visitors to the site, such as clients and customers.
These individuals all deserve to feel safe when they are at a business property – plus, it is in the business’s own interests to protect them. Putting in place the right CCTV system can help ensure the safest and most secure possible environment.
- It can give the business owner peace of mind
Even if the business owner has other security arrangements in place – for example, having trained security guards present at the site in person – a high-quality CCTV system can provide the extra layer of surveillance and protection that can help put their mind at rest.
A business owner may, for example, decide to hire security personnel to be present on-site at certain sensitive times during the day or night, while having a monitored CCTV arrangement to cover other hours. This can help reassure them that their site is always being monitored and protected in a cost-effective way.
Did you know that your business’s CCTV system could also help reduce its insurance costs?
We mentioned above that investing in a CCTV system can help give a business owner peace of mind. Well, it’s worth bearing in mind that when you have a top-quality CCTV arrangement installed at your business premises, this could save a few people at your insurance company some sleepless nights, too!
Allow us to explain… basically, when an insurer is deciding how much to charge a given business to insure the latter’s premises, it will assess the business’s “risk profile”. If a business that is seeking insurance has a premises with a high-quality CCTV system in place, this will help reduce the risk the business is perceived to pose, in the eyes of the insurer.
After all, in an ideal world, an insurer doesn’t want its policyholders to be constantly filing expensive insurance claims. CCTV systems have a strong reputation of helping to deter crime.
Furthermore, CCTV systems – especially those that are actively monitored – can detect a crime quickly in the event that it does occur. So, a rapid and appropriate intervention can be made to minimise the amount of damage the criminal might cause. Any business owner would much prefer a criminal to cause only slight damage before they are caught, instead of having the chance to burn the entire premises to the ground.
These factors will all help to make your business seem less “risky” as far as insurers are concerned, if you have an excellent CCTV system at your premises. This means insurers are likely to offer you a lower premium for insurance, compared to if they had perceived your business site as presenting a higherrisk to them.
So, simply as a result of installing a commercial CCTV system at your business site, you will stand a stronger chance of landing the business insurance policy that works best for your organisation. By this, we mean an insurance policy that genuinely provides you with comprehensive and high-quality protection, at the same time as making financial sense.
How does a business insurer assess risk and calculate insurance premiums?
Let’s go back (almost) to the beginning, considering exactly how installing a CCTV monitoring system can lead to reduced insurance premiums.
The term “insurance premiums” refers to the amount of money that a business needs to pay to an insurance company, in order to be covered against potential risks and losses. There are various factors that an insurer will account for when it is determining how high an insurance premium to charge to a given business, and the “risk profile” of the business is very much one of those factors.
You will have probably heard of insurance “underwriters”; these are professionals who evaluate the risks involved when insuring people or assets. So, when a given business applies for insurance, these individuals will scrutinise such elements as the nature of the business, where the business site is located, the security measures in place, and any past claims history. This will allow them to assess the potential risks and the likelihood of the applicant making a claim on the insurance if they ultimately purchase a policy.
You can probably begin to understand, then, that simply putting in place a CCTV system at your business premises won’t be a “panacea” for lowering your organisation’s insurance premiums.
After all, while insurers are likely to perceive your commercial site as posing a lower risk if a CCTV system is present, there may be other factors that drive up your risk profile. Examples of these could include combustible materials being regularly used at your premises, the interior being easily accessible to the public, or your business site being in an area with a high crime rate. Nonetheless, even if you don’t make any other adjustments to your business site, it could still greatly help lower your insurance premiums if you invest in a high-quality and comprehensive CCTV system, perfectly tailored to your organisation’s needs.
What are the rules for CCTV in a business?
Although it is legally permitted for a business in the UK to operate a CCTV system at its premises, the given organisation must also comply with data protection law and follow certain rules. Those include the following:
- Registering with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The business will also need to pay the data protection fee, unless an exemption applies.
- Putting up signage making clear that CCTV is in use at the site. This signage must also set out the reasons for CCTV being in operation at the premises.
- Informing people that they may be recorded. This is usually communicated by displaying signs, which must be clearly visible and readable.
- Controlling who can see the recordings. The only people who are able to access the footage produced by the business’s CCTV systems should be those who genuinely require access to it.
- Making sure the CCTV system is only used for the intended purpose. For example, if the business set up its CCTV cameras as a means of detecting crime, the cameras must not be used for the purposes of monitoring the amount of work staff members do.
- Sharing images from the CCTV system with the authorities, if requested. The police, for instance, may ask to see footage from the business’s cameras.
- Retaining images only for as long as the business requires them. There is no “hard and fast” rule about how long the retention period should be. However, the typical business probably won’t need to keep hold of any given CCTV footage for longer than one or two weeks.
The above guidance is not intended as an exhaustive rundown of the rules that presently apply to the use of CCTV at a business site. Our experts at DTS London would advise you to always check the latest legislation and UK Government guidance before you put in place a CCTV system at your commercial premises.
Don’t think only about insurance when you are choosing a CCTV system!
It may seem almost too obvious a point to mention. However, this is probably a good moment to emphasise that you should never invest in CCTV cameras at your commercial property with the expectation that your insurance premiums will definitely be lower as a result.
Nonetheless, it is true that the insurance-related, and non-insurance-related, benefits of installing a business CCTV system can overlap. For instance, if you invest in the most robust CCTV system that your business can afford – one that covers the entirety of your business site, produces high-resolution images, and uses motion detection technology – you can help minimise the likelihood of your business being the victim of a crime.
This, in turn, would mean you are less likely to make a claim on your business insurance policy. As a consequence of this, underwriters are likely to take note of your lack of previous claims, and insurers may be inclined to offer you lower insurance premiums as the years pass by. So, you may be able to save money that you can then invest into further well-chosen security measures, such as trained on-site security guards.
A monitored CCTV system could further help lower the risks at your site
It doesn’t take too much thinking, then, to appreciate that the implementation of the right CCTV system “from day one” could promote a virtuous cycle for your business. You might therefore have particular reason to consider the merits of a remote monitored CCTV service, like the one that DTS London can provide.
A remote monitored CCTV service works as follows: the CCTV monitoring system reacts when any signs of movement are detected on the premises, whatever time of the day or night this may occur. Images are then taken from the designated camera and are transmitted to a Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC). From here, specialist CCTV monitoring controllers can alert the relevant response team.
At this stage, there are various possibilities for the response. The security personnel who are monitoring the images may warn off the intruder via a tannoy announcement, or they may contact the police or fire services. Another possibility could be for them to contact other people who need to be notified in the given situation, such as the business owner.
You can rest assured that when you place your trust in DTS London as the provider of a remote CCTV monitoring service, any security risks or breaches at your site will be dealt with in the most professional, appropriate, and effective manner. It is one more reminder of how sophisticated and impactful CCTV systems can be in the 2020s, irrespective of whether they also help drive down your insurance premiums as a business owner.
Would you like to know what your London, Kent, or Surrey organisation’s next CCTV system could look like when you partner with reputable specialists? If so, please don’t hesitate to enquire online to the DTS London team today. You can also give us a call, on 0208 090 7485.