- The RGM blog
Security insight. Real-world expertise.
Advice, perspectives and stories from the people protecting businesses and communities across South Wales.
- Security advice
What does effective security look like for your business?
From the first risk assessment to the people on the ground, discover what makes a security plan work.
24 September 2026 · 6 min read
Security insight. Real-world expertise.
Advice, perspectives and stories from the people protecting businesses and communities across South Wales.
- Security advice
What does effective security look like for your business?
From the first risk assessment to the people on the ground, discover what makes a security plan work.
24 September 2026 · 6 min read
What does effective security look like for your business?
From the first risk assessment to the people on the ground, discover what makes a security plan work.
- · 3 min read
- From our team
Latest articles
Featured , Security for Retailers , Security Service
- · 2 min read
With having your own business, there will always be two main things you will need to protect: your physical premises and the sensitive information that you handle. This is all well and good when you’re actually on the premises, but it is the evenings, the weekends and periods such as Christmas, where you want piece of mind that everything is secure as it can be.
To help you ensure you have all your safety precautions in place, here are 6 simple but effective security hacks that you can employ to increase security over these periods.
Display Our Security Sign in Your Windows
This is the easiest way to increase security for any business! Although you might have the best security systems in place in your premises, it won’t stop burglars from trying their luck unless you tell them that they are there. By displaying security signs in your windows, you are warning them that this is a secure and monitored location much like ‘CCTV in Operation’ signs do in public buildings.
To increase your security today, you can download our free A4 security sign here to display in your windows.
Make Sure You Have the Right Locks
It is really important to know what type of locks you have in your premises to check that they are as secure as possible. To increase security, check that all external doors have 3 locking points and all windows have window locks. Mortice locks add considerable strength to your doors, so always use these and deadlocks where possible.
Always Keep the Blinds Closed When You're Away
This might sound like common sense but a surprising amount of businesses don’t fully close their blinds or shutters after leaving their premises. Making sure everything is closed ensures that valuable items are out of sight and therefore doesn’t give people a reason to break in. Before leaving, also check that keys are not left in locks and all spare keys are hidden away.
Mark All Belongings with a Property-Marking Product
Property marking is a great security hack that helps the Police to recover any items that may have been stolen. You can easily mark your products by using a police approved forensic marking system, by etching, engraving, using a chemical kit or UV marker.
Use Cloud Storage Systems to Back up Information
Unless you are regularly shredding hard copies of confidential information, it is more secure to keep your documents backed up on cloud storage systems. On these systems you can restrict access, change passwords regularly and choose to encrypt the most important information.
Check That Your Outside Security is Effective
Although you may have installed the best burglar alarm and invested in timed lighting inside your premises, a good security system isn’t complete without exterior security. A lot of businesses have external lighting on doors to prevent burglaries, as entrances can be easily seen from the street. To further increase security you could also invest in an audio alarm, if your business is slightly off a main street, or grow thorny shrubs such as pyracantha along fences and walls.
With having your own business, there will always be two main things you will need to protect: your physical premises
Security for Retailers , Security Guards , Security Service
- · 3 min read
An increase in footfall in the build up to Christmas can also mean a rise in retail crime, which can result in considerable losses for many retail businesses. In fact, there is a 20% increase in shoplifting over the Christmas (source: Centre for Retail Research).
The team at RGM Security in Swansea has come up with advice and guidance for shop owners to helps secure their goods during the busiest shopping spree of the year.
An increase in footfall in the build up to Christmas can also mean a rise in retail crime, which can
Security Guards
- · 3 min read
In this day and age, manufacturing companies are facing increasing issues when it comes to security. With cyber security and the threats of terrorism on the up, it can be too easy to let more traditional security measures slip through the net.
This is why it is hugely beneficial to factory owners and manufacturing sites who experience high volumes of employees, visitors and contractors passing through the doors to employ the services of experienced security guards.
The presence of a security static guard on your premises is a greater visual deterrent against perpetrators, crime and damage than camera surveillance.
So what are the different services that you can expect from a professional security service? RGM Security have come up with a list of the ways that they are able to help to keep factories and manufacturing sites secure, giving business owners the peace of mind required to focus on other aspects of their business.
Monitoring of Ingress and Egress
Although security should be everyone’s responsibility, it can be difficult for employees to challenge their peers and visitors alike.
Employing a uniformed security guard will overcome this issue as the whole appearance and concept shows that you mean business when it comes to the security of your premises. A security guard can challenge and investigate unauthorised visitors or potential intruders as well as ensuring that your visitor sign in policy is strictly adhered to in order to allow visitors access to the site.
The same principle applies to access by employees. Large factories in particular should always have in place an employee identification process such as ID badges or access cards and security guards can manage and monitor the coming and going of staff, ensuring that no unwanted visitors are able to tailgate behind your employees.
Monitoring Access Points
Static guards are fully trained to assess, observe and report any suspicious activity, security breaches or risks. These guards will patrol your building and surrounding areas, checking all access points including locks, glass areas and walls for damage, as well as conducting additional monitoring requirements to prevent damage or spills.
Enforcement is key and static guards will be positioned to restricting access to particular areas or monitoring video surveillance. By combining human presence with CCTV and mobile controls, static guards will ensure that there will be no area of your premise left uncovered.
What’s more, many factories tend to be located in remote areas, so upholding a rigorous factory security plan through a combination of surveillance systems and security guards, making it difficult for vandals, thieves and intruders of any kind to take advantage of the remoteness of your factory location.
Security Key Holding & Alarm Response
Using the services of a professional, static guarding company can also remove the burden and worry from business owners when it comes to key-holding and alarm response. It’s never convenient to have employees on standby for those unexpected alarm activations; not to mention the safety aspect if the activation turns out to be a genuine break in.
By appointing a security company as your nominated key holding alarm responder this risk will be removed altogether; at the same time giving you peace of mind when you are away from your home or your business.
A security guarding company will despatch a vehicle with keys to your factory premises and investigate the cause of the activation and deal with the incident. If there has been a break-in, the guards will remain on site until the police arrive; if it’s a false activation the guards will reset the alarm and leave the property secure. You should also get a full report of the incident the next day.
RGM Security
At RGM Security, we consistently integrate our experienced and fully trained security guards within a factory or manufacturing site in order to provide that added element of security presence, acting as a highly visible deterrent to potential criminals or opportunist employees.
We also ensure that all areas of your premises are regularly monitored both physically and through your security systems for ultimate security.
Our overriding aim is to keep your employees, building, plant, equipment and stock as safe and secure as possible both day and night.
To find out more about our static guarding services for factories, then call us today.
In this day and age, manufacturing companies are facing increasing issues when it comes to security. With cyber security and
Workplace Investigations
- · 2 min read
RGM Security has launched a workplace investigation service to help local SME’s combat employee theft.
This move comes in the light of reported increases in workplace theft in the UK ranging from small office items such as pens and toilet rolls through to major, organised theft of plant and machinery from construction sites for example.
RGM Security has launched a workplace investigation service to help local SME’s combat employee theft. This move comes in the
Security Guards
- · 4 min read
It’s sad to say but these days, the UK construction industry is seeing a rise in the number of thefts from sites left unattended and unsecured. It’s a costly business if you have to constantly keep replacing equipment, tools and machinery which have literally been ‘nicked’ from a building site.
So what measures can construction companies take to mitigate the risk of theft from their sites? The most effective step is to hire a security guard from a reputable company such as RGM in Swansea. By using the services of a specialist security company, you can have access to security guards on an ad hoc or retained basis, depending on your needs and how long you are actively working on a specific site. This makes using a security guards a very affordable option as well as providing a proven deterrent for potential thieves.
Professional Security Guards
Most importantly, it will always be far more cost effective to employ a security guard than to replace stolen equipment, which can also have in impact on productivity through delays in re-ordering new items.
Companies that provide security guards are ideally placed to recommend the most appropriate personnel to work on a construction site based on experience and knowledge of the industry sector. It’s important to ensure that the guard or guards you are planning to employ hold SIA (Security Industry Authority) licences and have undergone relevant checks such as DRB.
Protecting Plant and Equipment
No matter what the size of your building site, it’s likely to have in place thousands of pounds worth of equipment. So construction companies in a way need to act like a bank and ensure they have security measures in place to protect their assets.
For example, most construction sites use heavy equipment to carry out the building work and it’s totally unfeasible to move this machinery off site every day to a secure building. This means that any construction site is highly vulnerable to becoming the target of thieves. And there have instance of those who are bold and brazen enough to break in and drive the equipment away – and imagine the cost of replacing these expensive machines?
Plant, machinery and other equipment can be chained to another structure for example or bolted to the ground. But these measures can cause further problems and delays if keys are lost or employee key holders are late or working on other sites. In other words, though some of these measures may work in the short term, for the longer term and complete peace of mind, you can’t beat using the services of a security guard to keep an eye on the site whilst work is in progress or when everyone else has gone home (which is the most vulnerable time).
In addition to plant and machinery theft, construction sites are prime targets for burglars due to an increase in value of some specific building materials such as copper wiring which has increased considerably in value over the past few years. If you’re in the middle of a new build and elements of the copper wiring have been installed but are still exposed, then this is a huge temptation for thieves to cut away and sell on to scrap dealers.
Routine Security Inspections
One of the key duties of a security guard is to carry out routine inspections around the perimeter of the site by walking or riding to check on any signs of suspicious activity. If any form of security alarms has been installed, the guard is also on hand within seconds to deal with any situation and alert the police.
Professional security guards will also be responsible for presenting security reports for the time they are on site. These reports will include any out of the ordinary observations they may have noted or any incidents that may have occurred whilst they were on duty. Depending on the size of the construction site and nature of the project, some security guards will simply be required to be static, staying in one place and generally monitoring the coming and going of employees, sub-contractors and other visitors. Others, particularly on larger sites, will be required to be mobile, particularly if they are on their own at night time.
Hiring the Right Security Guards
Once you understand the importance of keeping your building site safe by employing security guards, you need to make sure that you hire from a company with an established reputation and who understand your construction site requirements.
At RGM, when we meet with construction companies they always urge them to note down their specific requirements including the size of the site, whether there is a requirement for a guard or guards day and night, if they need static or mobile guards (or even both) and for how long they will need the guards for within reason. Armed with this information, we are able to provide an accurate quote over the desired timescale, with the understanding of course that buildings works can, and often do, overrun.
We would urge all construction companies to review their on-site security and if they have any doubts about what they already have in place or have experienced theft from their sites already, to contact the team at RGM Security today.
It’s sad to say but these days, the UK construction industry is seeing a rise in the number of thefts
Protecting Perimeter land , Security Guards , Security Service
- · 4 min read
When it comes to combatting theft from a manufacturing or industrial organisation, the perimeter of the premises should always be considered as a first line of defence against trespassers, intruders as well as from in-house theft.
Perimeter defences are the psychological, physical or electronic barriers which any intruder has to overcome in order to gain access to a particular site.
In the security industry, most organisations providing either electronic security systems or security personnel work by focussing on the four ‘D’s:
- Deter entry/theft
- Defend against entry/theft
- Detect entry
- Delay entry/removal of property.
For security to be effective, a pro-active set of security measures need to be put in place at key locations around the perimeter of a site or building.
The team at RGM Security in Swansea have come with some guidelines for the owners of manufacturing or industrial units in order to help them to protect their property and prevent intruders and theft.
Manned Security for Land Perimeter Protection
When it comes to land perimeters, which is where buildings are surrounded fully or partly by their own land, steps should be taken to mark and protect that land.
Marking of the perimeter can act as a barrier to entry and can comprise natural or artificial landscaping, warning signs, permanent or sensor activated lighting, posts or changed type/colour of paving.
A manned presence, e.g. static manned security guards, at gates and other entrances is undoubtedly the most effective means of blocking unauthorised entry. Business owners need to be mindful of the criteria for selecting a suitable guarding company. Guards should all hold Security Industry Authority (SIA) licences which means they have undergone recognised training and operating procedures (as set out in BS 7499 – Code of Practice for Static Site Guarding and Mobile Patrol Services). The guards and their employer should also have suitable insurance and have undergone industry standard external checks and audits.
Those companies who hold SIA Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) status will have suitably licensed and trained staff, National Security Inspectorate (NSI) who will have the necessary training and checks in place to carry out perimeter security work effectively.
Other Security Defence Measures
It may sound like a no brainer but walls and fences are always a deterrent when it comes to unwanted visitors to your site. These could take the form of masonry walls, metal palisades or railings or timber fences (though these generally only provide a low level of protection).
Gates should be of a similar size and strength as any walls or fences and secured by robust locks or padlocks. They should be protected from being lifted or removed through welded hinge tops and designed to stop people crawling underneath them.
Barbed or razor wire installed on the top of walls, fences and gates can also be a powerful deterrent for intruders but you will need to ensure that members of the general public could not accidentally come into contact with these wires. To prevent this, the wires need to be visible and at least 2 metres above ground at their lowest point, with visible signs indicating their presence.
Some organisations take their land perimeter security measures even further by installing alarms or electric fence systems. However, these installations are only effective if there is a guard on site who is able to respond to the system. Some alarm systems are linked to a remotely monitored intruder alarm or CCTV system. However, unless there is a physical guard on the premises, response times to these electronic systems can sometimes be slow.
A top tip is to ensure that all plant, machinery and other items such as red diesel canisters and loose cables are kept out of sight of perimeter fencing and are safely locked away. Such items, along with tools and hand held equipment are easy picking for potential thieves.
Preventing Workplace Theft
We’ve talked about how to prevent intruders from entering the perimeter land of a premises, but what about preventing theft by employees?
Theft from retail outlets or offices requires a different approach in terms of processes and monitoring. However, what if your employees are stealing major items such as machinery or tools?
As a starting point, a business should make one person responsible for security, either an in-house security manager or a security guard who works regular at the site. This ensures the company has overall control and accountability when it comes to minimising the risk of internal theft. This person will then also be in a position to make informed hiring decisions and exercise care with whom they entrust with possession of keys and key information.
Other measures employers in the manufacturing or engineering sectors can take include arranging the best-practice for staff logistics, regularly change arrangements like delivery times and run staff incentives and penalties for good and poor security practices. This approach will help to promote an all-round culture of security alertness and consciousness throughout the organisation.
Staff awareness
It’s also helpful to make individual members of staff personally responsible for the equipment they use and if it is lost through negligence, carelessness or theft, then disciplinary action should be considered.
Security staff, and it’s far easier if security guards are employed, should regularly check and search all employees, their lockers as well as contractors’ vehicles. Employees’ private vehicles should be kept off the site; and everyone on site should be made aware of the company policy on crime management as well as site security procedures.
Employees should be told that they are expected to report suspicious incidents and that everything they say will be treated in the strictest confidence; whilst employers (or the person responsible for security) should consider carefully and remember who has access to keys for storage of plant and other equipment.
RGM Security
These are just some basic guidelines for protecting your manufacturing or industrial premises against intruders as well as external and internal theft.
If you want to know more, and in particular if you are interested in looking at manned security in your organisation, call RGM Security today on 01792 293249
When it comes to combatting theft from a manufacturing or industrial organisation, the perimeter of the premises should always be
Get in touch today
Whether you need a single static guard, a full mobile patrol schedule, or a bespoke security package across multiple sites, we're ready to talk it through. Get in touch today to discuss your security requirements.
