Unlike many industries, manufacturing’s key activities can’t be done remotely. Most of the work needs to be done in the manufacturing facility while ensuring workers remain safe in their jobs as well as from any contagious illnesses. This alone is a big challenge. Yet, they must contend with the additional trials of a shifting workforce, surging material prices, and ongoing supply chain interruptions.
Manufacturing facilities house heavy machinery and many moving parts. These increase the possibilities of a serious or fatal accident. Unquestionably, employee safety is a top priority for manufacturing plants. This is why companies are investing more in manufacturing video surveillance. This technology provides a very effective way to increase the safety, efficiency, and productivity of manufacturing operators.
An article from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics references an IHS Markit report that reveals the use of surveillance cameras grew almost 50 percent from 2015 to 2018. The BLS has predicted a 21 percent increase in video surveillance in 2021. The message is clear. Security is a top priority for many businesses. That’s why they’re adding security cameras around the property to monitor the business.
Not every video surveillance technology can do the job. The cameras need to be watching every part of the property, not just the plant. This includes the parking garage, all entrances and exits, and areas with equipment and inventory.
However, a lot of companies stop there. They may not have anyone actually monitoring the cameras. This could be dangerous. You can put yourself at risk for liability. Video surveillance with remote monitoring can do more than traditional alarms and stand-alone security cameras. The partnership of video analytics with trained monitoring operators greatly increases the chances they will catch something before it happens.
Top 4 Manufacturing Video Surveillance Benefits
Manufacturing video surveillance offers many benefits. It can help protect employee and customer information, company financial records, trade secrets, and product information. This isn’t to say that it’s the perfect security solution that can do it all. No single security solution can. Still, security cameras with monitoring add layers to security while helping in other areas. That said, here are the top four benefits of using remote video surveillance in a manufacturing facility.
1. Helps Ensure Worker Safety
According to the National Safety Council, work injuries in 2019 cost an estimated $171 billion in productivity loss, medical expenses, and administrative costs. In the same year, companies lost 105 million days due to injuries with 70 million occurring in 2019. The rest had occurred in prior years and carried over.
Plants have a responsibility to create a safe environment. To ensure the safety of workers, vendors, and visitors, the manufacturing facility must have controls in place. Without these controls, the facility could be at risk for expensive workplace injuries and potential lawsuits.
Additionally, with the crisis going on for more than two years, it drives the need to have strong processes in place to keep workers healthy. Manufacturing video surveillance plays an important part in safety, crime prevention, and operations.
2. Helps Optimize Productivity and Operations
When you’re on the ground, it’s hard to know what’s happening. Think about the online maps. They provide all kinds of views including terrain, satellite, transit, traffic, biking, and more. You can also zoom in on the map or change to street-view where you’re viewing the area as if you’re standing on the street. It helps people understand the area better than if they were just relying on only street view.
In a similar vein, video surveillance has the ability to look at the big picture. With all the different camera placements, you’ll have the opportunity to find areas for improving operational efficiency, processes, and procedures as well as have the ability to monitor for safety hazards and report them.
Video recordings also give you proof of crimes, liability lawsuits, and potential fraud. Many manufacturing plants use video clips as a training tool. These clips show employees the right and wrong ways to do tasks.
Trained monitoring operators and video analytics work together to review what’s happening at the manufacturing plant. As soon as a potential issue shows up on camera, the system alerts the operator who can take the appropriate action based on what appears on the monitors. These operators are not on your manufacturing facility’s property. They work from a remote site and their lives are never in danger as they can be for a security guard.
3. Helps Deter Crime
The sight of the security cameras alone can push potential intruders to not ever step on the property. “Understanding Decisions to Burglarize from the Offender’s Perspective” from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a study that has surveyed more than 400 male and female burglars in jail.
The researchers asked how the burglars chose their targets and what stopped them from going after a target. More than half identified the security cameras as the biggest factor they considered a deterrent. Almost half said noticing the cameras would prevent them from going after a target.
Unfortunately, many of today’s criminals have become more brazen and violent. They’re not likely to be scared off by the cameras. In this case, the monitoring operator can use the audio system to issue a warning. They can follow up with a phone call to the police who often respond quickly when the call comes from Stealth. That’s because Stealth has video verification of something happening on the scene.
Jennifer King and her colleagues at the University of California Berkeley Law have done a study on the San Francisco Community Safety Camera Program. They’ve found a significant decrease in property crimes in areas with security cameras present.
This supports the need for security camera visibility and “Area under surveillance” signs. It reassures people that someone is watching the cameras. If a business tries to post signs with dummy cameras, then it could become a liability issue.
What about security cameras that are monitored? Is it a liability? Video surveillance with monitoring helps reduce liability. In short, the prominent presence of video surveillance cameras and signs indicating someone is watching helps deter criminals.
4. Helps Provide Complete and Proactive Security
Security is vital for manufacturing facilities, especially where machinery, raw materials, and the finished product all have significant value. Effective perimeter protection, alerting security personnel to breaches, intruders, and suspicious behavior, are must-haves.
As previously stated, no security system can work alone. That’s why it’s important to have a multi-layered security strategy. You’ll help lower your manufacturing facility’s vulnerabilities when you combine remote video surveillance with an access control system.
The nature of the manufacturing industry means it will have a steady flow of legitimate visitors. That’s why access control for the parking garage, the front door, loading dock, and other areas should be a priority. Besides that, some employees will be allowed to enter specific areas of the facility and some not. Door stations with integrated video and audio will help with verification.
What makes remote video surveillance different from other security technologies is that it’s a proactive security solution that can help stop crime before it happens. Traditional security solutions like alarms and basic security cameras are reactive solutions. They don’t do anything until after something transpires.
The important elements in video surveillance are video analytics and monitoring. If analytics and trained monitoring operators aren’t watching the cameras, then the technology becomes passive. In doing so, it can potentially turn into a liability issue. Passive security cannot deter crime.
Remote video surveillance delivers the highest level of security for your manufacturing plant while helping reduce liability and hazards as well as to help improve productivity. It could lead to a quick ROI for security because of all these top four benefits.
The Value of Manufacturing Video Surveillance
For a fraction of the cost of traditional security technologies and of security guards, manufacturing video surveillance offers around-the-clock coverage across the entire property. It has the ability to monitor unsafe places such as the roof and high voltage spots. Security cameras can monitor these areas.
An integrated security solution with video surveillance and an access control system can do more than work as a crime deterrent. As mentioned before, worker safety is one of manufacturing’s highest priorities. Security cameras have the ability to catch potential hazards and problems before anyone gets hurt.
Thanks to advancements in manufacturing security technology, remote video surveillance and access control are cost-effective solutions that could yield a fast return on security investment.
ECAM security experts can give you the support you need to analyze your facility and perimeter to create a right-sized security solution. In choosing to work with us, you’ll have access to security professionals who have experience in securing manufacturing plants. To learn about video surveillance, access control systems, and security solutions that meet your needs, contact us.
