Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Be Prepared for Violent Crimes

Protecting your employees from harm during the commission of a crime is too often taken for granted.

Violent crimes are a fact of life.  We recently paid a claim for an employee that was shot in the head by a robber at a convenience store, one of the profit centers for the car wash location.  This location  was equipped with alarms, surveillance, good lighting, etc.  The problem here is an example of the inherent dangers of extended hours.  A lone employee in a 24 hour situation is often more exposed to being held up. Luckily in this instance the employee survived but that is not always the case.

The following are some ideas that might help keep your employees safer when handling money.

ON PREMISE
  1. If you have 24 hour exposure - this is not recommended - but if you choose to:
    • Have a minimum of two (2) employees on at all times
    • Keep minimal cash on hand
    • Install a drop safe
    • Have signage that clearly states all of the above
    • Request police drive-bys
    • Train your employees about safety in a 24 hour environment (only let trained employees work the late night shifts).
    • Give up cash immediately should you be robbed
    • Have a silent alarm that can easily be triggered
  2. Do not allow deposits to build up more than one day.
  3. Watch for non-customers or employees that 'hang out' or around the property consistently.
  4. No less than two (2) employees should open or close the wash.
  5. Limit cash on premise and use signage to advertise this fact.
  6. Employees should be trained in emergency and robbery responses.
  7. Install exceptional lighting.
  8. Have a Key Control Plan
OFF PREMISE
  1. Deposits should be handled by more than one (1) person.
  2. Vary routes you take to financial institution/bank.
  3. Vary vehicles you drive to financial institution/bank.
  4. Vary times you go to financial institution/bank.
  5. If there are any incidents while you are carrying money - call the police IMMEDIATELY. A car accident is one example of how robbers obtain access to deposits being transported.
A safe wash protects people and profits!

Watch for details on the FREE 1 hour webinar about 'Crime Safety' sponsored by CNA and Mang Insurance on July 26th and 27th!

Post a comment and share what is working for you at your wash, we would love to hear from you!