Risk Control via Surveillance Systems
Protecting a business property involves more than sturdy doors and locks. A surveillance system can protect the assets of a business from liability claims. Recently, a New Jersey man was charged after he was seen faking a fall down incident at work. The video itself is fairly high quality, and you can clearly see a man, later identified as Alexander Goldinsky, throwing ice cubes on the floor of a cafeteria, and then easing himself onto the ground, where he waits for someone to find him. According to news reports, Goldinsky was charged with insurance fraud and theft by deception. The video has now gone viral.
Video surveillance systems are an excellent risk management tool. Today there are affordable systems to suit any sized business. The features in these small systems are far more advanced than anything available 15 or 20 years ago.
All these added features mean that your new system is very customizable. Be sure to examine all the features available for today’s video surveillance systems.
Address Insurance Risks
Video surveillance systems are incredible tools. They are helpful in loss investigations and they are a deterrent to crime. They can also prevent negative behavior by the public or your own employees. In cases of theft, good quality video can identify someone right away. Law enforcement can find that perpetrator and, in some cases, recover stolen property. Video surveillance systems are an indispensable resource in a liability claim investigation.
Analog vs. IP Cameras
Analog video systems send video signals through traditional base band format. The signals are usually sent over coax or UTP cabling. The video winds up on a DVR device as digitized video and then stored on a disc. An IP video system is different in that it broadcasts a live-stream video over an IP network. This video is then stored on a hard drive.
Modern analog cameras record at around a half of a megapixel. To compare, IP cameras provide much sharper images and video. Most are capable of recording at anywhere between 1 and 5 megapixels. They also provide the advantage of having a wider field of view. This means you will often need fewer cameras.
Mobile notifications and automation are two key features offered by IP systems. These features are not available on analog systems. This means they can be set up to activate when motion is detected, and the system can notify your smartphone. It can also be configured to notify law enforcement.
If you need a network video recorder (NVR) instead of a digital video recorder (DVR), then you will need an IP video surveillance system. NVR systems will record with higher quality video and will allow for an expansion of your system as your business grows. DVR recorders have been the standard for surveillance systems for many years. NVR systems record high definition video at 1080p, which is far more valuable for law enforcement or claim investigations.
Power sources for analog cameras are separate from their communication cabling. This can add installation costs and can result in extra cabling. IP cameras can be connected to “power over internet” (PoE) switches which send both data and power to the camera unit.
Individual analog cameras are often more expensive than IP cameras, but the total component and installation costs of an IP system is usually lower. Fewer cameras are often required and installation is less labor intensive.
Video Recordings
You will want to know how much storage capacity you have available. This will depend on the number of cameras on your system, their resolution. It will also depend on how often you intend to keep any archived footage. Most systems will overwrite on to older footage to save on storage capacity. This is often detrimental to any investigations, particularly if a claim is not reported for a long time.
Storage space requirements for high quality video can get expensive. Many businesses use cloud storage for IP systems which can save on costs.
Video surveillance systems protect your business from harm in several ways. In our experience, they always provide some value when a claim occurs. When thieves do get away, or when a liability settlement is required there is still a benefit. The business owner can learn from the footage obtained in every instance that we have seen. If you do not have a video surveillance system yet, be sure to make this a goal for your business.