ASSET PROTECTION

by Timm Martin.

In an emergency, it is commonly said that the idea is to make sure you are OK first before you can help others. They repeat it at the start of every plane journey for a reason, put your mask on before helping others.

Storage facilities spend a lot of time and money ensuring the basics are covered to provide the customers with a solution for their storage needs. Good CCTV, excellent fences, robust access systems, right down to nice clean aisles, plenty of trolleys and driveways clear from debris. All this to protect the most valuable assets they have - customers.

However, quite often, the things on site that are overlooked or dismissed as ‘superfluous to requirements’ are things needed to protect valuable assets.

For example, a facility may not blink twice at spending $40,000$50,000 on a digital camera system with a fantastic remote capability, but then fail to protect it from power spikes and surges. The same with the office PC and equipment, many believe they are protected with just a cheap $10 power board. These can sometimes be part of the problem, as inside a cheap power board is basically no protection for your valuable equipment whatsoever. The tiny relay switch is often tripped long after the plastic has started melting and become a problem. This is what’s actually inside a cheap power board.

As for real protection, owners often overlook a commercial grade UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) device. These range from $500-$2500 depending on the level of protection required. They are invaluable, more so in regional areas and/or prone to thunderstorms (i.e. South East Queensland). A UPS is the first line of defence and protection under the desk. Essentially, these devices are designed to filter power to sensitive electronic equipment and keep them running for long enough to shut down the equipment properly. In extreme circumstances, they are designed to take the brunt of huge power spikes and act like a supreme circuit breaker for the goods attached. This can be a substantial saving if you think about any critical equipment connected to the site. Keypads and access systems are the key to your business and when they aren’t working, this can and does have a large impact on customers access. l