What is Key Holding?

Employed correctly, Keyholding can be a vital part of any businesses security risk management plan. On a basic level, it is a professional service of holding your spare key, should you lose your key there is a spare one ready to go.

However, the Key Holding service has developed over the years. It is now no longer just about holding a spare key, it involves opening and closing of the office premises, responding if the intruder alarm activates and ensuring the property is secure.

But should you outsource your Key Holding? Is it really worth the money? Should you rely on a third party to secure your premises?

In short, yes. And here’s why.

Corporate Responsibility. An employer, should not place a member of staff at risk. Responding to an alarm in the middle of the night is placing a member of staff in an unknown situation which could potentially be dangerous. This leaves the business exposed to legal action.
Training. Having an untrained member of staff responsible for security doesn’t make sense. Security is more than making sure all doors and windows are locked. It’s about being aware of what’s around you. In the Army, we used to call them ‘Combat Indicators’- Absence of the normal, presence of the abnormal. A well-trained security operator will be aware of their surroundings. They will be aware of the normal ‘pattern of life’ and be able to react if anything is out of the ordinary.
Morale. Placing a member of staff in harm’s way is bad for morale, simple.
Productivity. There are numerous studies that highlight how happy staff are more productive. In 2013, a research stated that happy staff are 50% more productive. Having your member of staff attend your office building at 3 am for an intruder alarm activation will lead to unhappy staff!

So there you have it, four fantastic reasons to outsource your Key Holding.

It is worth remembering though, that Key Holding is only effective if it is employed correctly as part of your overall business security risk management plan. If you would like to know more about Equilibrium Risk’s security risk management service or find out how we provide a first class Key Holding service, please get in touch.

Luke