Are you leaving your Building at Risk?
According to a recent study, nearly 50% of burglary and unauthorized entry happens through propped or unlocked doors. Propped doors are a big reason the bad guys find doors that are not locked or latched. A back door propped open could put your entire building at risk. Propped doors are an open invitation for unwanted visitors like burglars. Propped doors around your facility can make your building more vulnerable to break-ins. Customers in Boulder, CO need Locked and Latched doors and openings to prevent theft, property damage and physical attacks.
What is a propped open door? You can spot them at restaurants, office parks, and even warehouses. This happens when a door is intentionally blocked open to prevent the door from closing properly. While some doors can have devices that allow them to stay open usually based off a schedule or events, most doors must be shut to be properly secured.
Another question we get asked is why would someone prop a door? Most of the time people will prop a door open for convenience sake or sometimes because a door isn’t working properly. This can be found in the back alleyways of restaurants and are common in business parks.
We also get the question will “don’t leave this door open” signs work?
As it turns out, signs on a door don’t work because there is nothing preventing it from being propped. This is the same effect of asking people to not steal. You can wander around your hometown and spot doors with do not prop standing wide open enabling you to see the sign on the interior of the door.
Finally, you want to know Why you shouldn’t prop a door? One of the reasons is that it creates a simple path for intruders. Many propped doors are in low traffic areas because someone doesn’t have proper access and is trying to leave themselves a way back in. These low traffic areas are not monitored well and create a easy way for intruders to enter a building with low visibility. Intruders come in all shapes and sizes, from a common thief to an armed gunman looking to cause destruction. What they have in common is that they are looking for easy ways to get in buildings.
So what can you do about propped doors at your facility? Here are 3 ways you can change your facility!
As a property manager, create a daily task for a walkabout to check the doors on your facility. Assign this task to an onsite security guard or building manager. Use this time to identify areas that people need access to, but may not have a key. These are doors that will potentially get propped open for convenience sake.
Some Other Items to Check while doing a walk about are what type of locks and doors you have that are more likely to not latch and lock. These could be:
Leversets or Knobs with locking buttons
Locks that can be unlocked or left unlocked with a button
Vertical Rod Exit Devices in HIGH Traffic Areas
Doors with bad Hinges
Doors with failing closers
Doors not properly aligned
Install Door Prop Alarms on exterior doors. This alarm will sound if a door is left open for more than a few seconds. For larger facilities, like a sprawling business park, Door Latch and Opening sensors can be installed to manage all of your doors from one convenient app.
Identify Doors with faulty push bars, doors that don’t self close or locksets that can be left unlocked without a key.
If you need help in identifying areas that could be vulnerable, let our experienced experts help with a facility survey! Our professionals can quickly survey the property letting you know what areas need increased attention. Contact us today and protect your facility from unwanted intrusions.
