Business CCTV camera placement guidelines

When it comes to CCTV system installation, you need to think about where’s best to place the cameras, always keeping in mind where you are more prone to criminal or suspicious activity. There may be obvious spots that spring to mind, but there’s actually a good system to it that you need to think about. Having years of experience in providing CCTV and business security solutions for a wide range of businesses, we explain the business CCTV camera placement guidelines. 

Entrances and exits

Starting with the obvious spots, not only do cameras need to be at entrances and exits to capture any potential burglars, but CCTV can work for more than just capturing any attempted break-ins. It can also work to help resolve internal disputes. 

If you have a hospitality, bar or nightclub venue, you may want to check live who’s coming in and out, and to look back on footage to find a culprit to see what time they entered and exited. This can all help with legal reasons and for the police for any investigations. 

There may have been an incident on the opposite side of the street that your CCTV can help provide evidence for, or maybe there was a road accident your cameras captured right outside your building’s entrance.

Also by having cameras at the entrances and exits can deter any criminals in the first place, people will think twice before vandalising or trespassing. 

Think about lighting and positioning

When placing your camera at the entrances and exits, you need to think about lighting. You should consider how the available light changes throughout the day. You also need to watch out for bright lights flooding the sensors on cameras, as this can cause blackened or dull images, which can result in a person’s face being partially hidden or unrecognisable. It’s recommended to place the camera above the door, pointing it away from light sources or windows, so you can get the best quality footage and images.

You should also factor in the height position of your cameras. You want to keep them out of reach so they aren’t able to be tampered with, but you also need to think about the view. Placing them too high can mean you’ll only see the tops of any opportunistic thieves’ heads. You should test some positions when people are in different positions around the work space; you want to capture faces, not just torsos. 

Reception areas

Especially if you have a high-traffic area, receptions are a good place for cameras to spot any suspicious activity or any incidents that may occur between staff and visitors. Receptions are also near the front of buildings and so are likely to be the most common area for trespassers to attempt forced entry. 

Warehouses

Where your company’s stored goods are kept will be a prime target for robbers, especially if you house goods that add up to being worth thousands or millions of pounds. Having well-placed CCTV cameras in the warehouse is a smart business plan. It’s a good idea to keep them as discreet as possible so as to avoid thieves identifying any potential blind spots in the warehouse because of the large space. 

Storerooms

If there’s one room burglars are keen to snoop in, it’s your business’s storeroom. When you have sensitive information stored, important documents, stored products ready to go out for distribution, computers with backups and hard drives, you need some CCTV in place to provide that layer of security and to capture everything that goes on. This is not only good for helping retrieve assets by providing evidence for investigations, but they also provide a deterrence for any unauthorised visitors or staff. Place them at the door to the room in question to monitor the restricted area, so you can look back on camera footage to see who has attempted to gain access.

Your shop floors

Of course, if your business has many shop floors, you need to make sure that your CCTV cameras are on show to deter any thieves. If you have any areas, corners or blind spots that are particularly hard for staff to always have an eye on, then these are perfect for security cameras. You should place them at the tills to face out to where customers come to the desk to get clear images of any suspects, and also to capture any potential conflicts or incidents. 

When it comes to changing rooms, it is not illegal to place CCTV here. However, under data protection law, CCTV cameras should only be used in ‘exceptional circumstances’ in places where privacy would be expected, such as changing rooms and toilets. Some CCTV systems and software can block out areas, like cubicles to protect privacy. Just always make sure you have clear signs to inform the public that you have them in place.

The law around CCTV

When using CCTV to protect your property, you must follow data protection law. The government mandates that you must put up signs to let people know CCTV is being used and why. It also outlines that you must also be able to provide images within one calendar month to anyone you’ve recorded (in most circumstances). If the authorities, such as the police, ask for images, you must provide them. You should only keep images for as long as your business needs them and you need to pay a data protection fee. Also, when providing images, you usually can’t charge a fee.

Should CCTV be professionally installed?

It’s always best to have the professionals involved to not only ensure you’re covering the right areas, but to learn from those who are experienced in fitting security cameras who can share valuable insights. Having an intelligent security system in place that’s been installed professionally can also help to lower insurance premiums as insurance companies can rely on you placing them in optimum positions, and you can alleviate any concerns. Having them installed professionally will also save you time and frustration, and with systems connected to the internet and with ANPR, you’ll need experts to guarantee a productive set-up.   

Having years of experience in the security industry - installing CCTV for a whole range of businesses - Expert Security UK can provide an exceptional level of security for your premises, guiding you through. Just contact our friendly, knowledgeable team today.