Business Safety Toolkit

Learn ways to keep your business safe

Safeguarding your business involves integrating crime prevention strategies into your daily operations and environment. Proactive adoption of these measures in your business planning can significantly reduce losses while enhancing safety for your staff, customers and yourself.

Protect your business from being a target of criminal activity by following these tips.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is about designing spaces to prevent crime and make people feel safe. Here's how it works for businesses.

  • Natural surveillance (visibility): Make sure your business is easy to see into and out of. Use windows, lighting, and clear lines of sight to discourage criminals. Ensure all entrances, windows, and dark corners are well lit.
  • Territorial reinforcement (ownership): Clearly mark your business boundaries with signs, landscaping, or fencing. This helps show that the area is cared for and watched over.
  • Access control: Control who can enter your business. Use secure doors, gates, and key systems to limit access to authorized people only. This is especially important in the early morning and late-night hours.
  • Maintenance: Keep your business area clean and well-maintained. Fix broken lights, trim bushes, and keep the property looking cared for. A well-maintained area signals that someone is paying attention and can deter criminals.
  • Target hardening (security measures): Install security cameras, alarms, and locks to make it harder for criminals to target your business. Store high value items out of sight and away from windows or exits.

By following these principles, businesses can create a safer environment for employees, customers, and the community. A free business security assessment by CPTED trained staff may be available. For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or 604-294-7944.

The best theft prevention becomes a regular business routine. Minimizing the risk of theft creates a safe and secure environment for employees and customers alike and is just good business. Here are some recommendations:

Establish clear policies and procedures

  • Develop and communicate clear policies regarding acceptable behavior, ethical standards, and consequences for theft or dishonesty. 
  • Implement procedures for handling cash, inventory, and sensitive information securely.
  • Ensure all employees understand the importance of theft prevention and their role in maintaining security.

Implement physical security measures

  • Install security cameras, alarms, and access control systems to deter theft and unauthorized access to sensitive areas.
  • Use safes, lockboxes, and secure storage areas to protect cash, valuable assets, and sensitive information.

Monitor cash, inventory, and financial transactions

  • Conduct regular inventory audits to track stock levels, identify discrepancies, and detect potential theft or shrinkage.
  • Implement controls to reconcile cash registers, sales records, and financial transactions to prevent theft and fraud.
  • Ensure that cash is stored securely and is inaccessible to visitors. Minimizing the accessibility of cash will decrease the likelihood it will be targeted for theft.  For example: manage cash deposits out of sight of customers, and keep sightlines clear around the till to enable staff to identify suspicious would-be thieves.

Encourage paying attention and reporting:

  • Encourage employees to pay attention and report any suspicious activity, theft, or security breaches immediately.  For police non-emergencies contact the Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999, and for any crimes in progress, call 911. 

Provide comprehensive training:

  • Train employees on theft prevention policies, procedures, and best practices during onboarding and update training regularly. 
  • Educate staff on how to identify suspicious behavior, handle cash transactions securely, and report theft or security concerns promptly.  For additional resources, contact the crime prevention team.   

The importance of customer service

  • Greeting your customers, making eye contact with them, and offering assistance not only enhances the customer’s experience, but shows them and others within the store that you are aware of their presence, and you are paying attention.

Develop a comprehensive workplace violence prevention policy

  • Create a clear and detailed policy that defines unacceptable behavior, outlines consequences for violations, and provides reporting procedures for employees who experience or witness violence or threatening behavior.

Establish clear procedures for handling complaints and threats: 

  • Develop protocols for investigating and addressing complaints, threats, or incidents of violence.
  • Employees should feel comfortable reporting concerns to management without fear of retaliation.

Stay vigilant and responsive

  • Regularly assess the workplace environment for potential risks and address any concerns promptly.
  • Encourage employees to report unusual or concerning behaviour and take appropriate action to mitigate risks.

Defusing angry, offensive, and disrespectful customers:

  • The first step to increase the safety of your environment is to de-escalate situations where customers begin to display agitation. In these situations, remain respectful and courteous in attempts to defuse the situation.
  • Sometimes, de-escalation may not work. Remember, you do not need to tolerate abusive behaviour. Under the Trespass Act, you can request difficult customers to leave your place of business to prevent the situation from escalating into more severe forms of violence. If they refuse to leave, call 911.

Develop working alone procedures

  • To keep yourself, your employees, and your business safe, make sure that nobody is working alone.  If someone must work alone, review the Workers Compensation Act, and ensure that there are checks in place so there are means for emergency communication. 
  • When there are multiple people present, the likelihood of violence and theft decreases, creating a safer environment for everyone.
  • Ensure there is always more than one person on the premises, especially for the early morning and late-night shifts.

For more information on how to prevent violence in the workplace, refer to WorkSafe BC’s guide on developing a workplace violence prevention program

Protecting a business from cyber threats is paramount in today's digital landscape. Here are some tips to help safeguard your business:

Educate employees

  • Train employees in cybersecurity best practices, including how to recognize phishing emails, create strong passwords, and securely handle sensitive information. 
  • Regularly remind them of the importance of paying attention and reporting any suspicious activities.

Keep software updated 

  • Ensure that all software, including operating systems, antivirus programs, and applications, are kept up to date with the latest security patches and updates. 

Secure network infrastructure 

  • Implement firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption protocols to protect your network from unauthorized access and data breaches. 

Backup data regularly 

  • Implement regular data backup procedures to ensure that critical business data is protected in the event of a cyber-attack, system failure, or data breach. 
  • Store backups securely, preferably offsite or in the cloud.

Restrict access to sensitive information: 

  • Limit access to sensitive data and systems to only those employees who require it to perform their job duties.

Establish security policies and procedures 

  • Develop comprehensive security policies and procedures that address various aspects of cybersecurity, including acceptable use policies, data handling procedures, incident response protocols, and employee training requirements. 
  • Regularly review and update policies to reflect changes in technology.

Resources

Illegal parking may affect parking for business customers. To learn more about our parking bylaws and how to request parking enforcement, visit our Parking webpage.

There are specific standards of health, safety, and cleanliness that everyone is expected to follow. Issues like unsightly premises, noise, graffiti and smoking and second-hand smoke can negatively affect everyone in our community–including our residents, businesses, and visitors.

Visit our Bylaw Enforcement webpage to learn more about how to report a bylaw violation or concern. 

Burnaby is home to many wildlife species, including bears, coyotes and deer. Viewing wildlife within an urban setting can be a wonderful experience. But wildlife can also be a nuisance or a safety concern.

If you cross paths with wildlife:

  • accessing garbage or other human supplied food
  • that's aggressive or threatening and can't be easily scared off
  • is dangerous, like cougars, wolves, bears etc. and is in a public setting like a city park or school during daylight hours

Immediately report the incident to a BC Conservation Officer: 1-877-952-RAPP (RAPP Line) #7277 (24-hour, toll-free service)

Learn more about wildlife in Burnaby

Visit our Animal Control webpage to learn more about animal control services provided by the City, including how to report concerns or incidents. 

Securing Small Business Rebate Program

The Province of BC provides small businesses with funds for vandalism repairs and preventative measures. Eligible businesses can receive up to $2,000 per year for reparative costs and up to $1,000 for preventative measures. Applications are retroactive from January 1, 2023, and will be accepted until January 31, 2025, or until program funds are fully allocated.

If the rebate application is for graffiti removal in Burnaby, applicants must first report the incident at Burnaby.ca/ReportGraffiti. Once received, the City will provide a file number that will be accepted under the police file number field in the Province's application.

Learn more about the application process

Have questions? 

If you would like to request a presentation or have questions about crime prevention safety tips, please contact us:

Crime Reduction and Intervention

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