Why UK businesses need Factory Security? Costs, Legal Requirements, and Best Practices for Local Businesses

Factory sites aren’t all the same. A distribution park by the port, a long single-storey food-processing plant, and a compact urban light-manufacturing unit each have different weak points, rhythms and commercial consequences when something goes wrong. That’s why the question of “why UK businesses need factory security” isn’t rhetorical; it’s a procurement and risk question that senior managers, finance teams and insurers should be able to answer with facts, not slogans.

This article is written for business owners, operations leads, facilities and procurement managers who must decide whether to buy security and, if so, what kind. It explains the practical reasons for manned guarding and integrated security on factory and industrial sites across the UK: the timing-driven risks created by shift patterns, contractor turnover and delivery cycles; the financial logic that links security to insurance conversations; and the compliance baseline that turns good practice into legal and contractual evidence.

We’ll focus on decision-ready guidance: how to identify the points of real exposure on your site, what compliance and insurance teams expect to see, how costs are built up (and where you actually buy resilience), and which operational measures demonstrably reduce loss. This is not a vendor brochure. It’s a reference you can share internally to justify a short trial, draft tender requirements, or brief your board, all of which are framed to fit the specific regional realities outlined in the article.

Factory security basics in the UK: why people still matter in industrial protection

Factory security is often misunderstood as someone standing at a gate or walking a perimeter on a schedule. In reality, it’s a blend of human judgement, visible presence, and operational control designed to protect production, people, and property across environments that rarely behave in predictable ways.

At its most effective, factory security combines:

• Active on-site guarding during risk-heavy windows
• Oversight of access points, yards, and delivery zones
• Early intervention when behaviour starts to drift
• Clear reporting that supports insurance and compliance

That’s very different from static-only cover or remote monitoring alone.

Static guarding focuses on a fixed post, gate, reception point, or single entrance. It’s useful, but limited. Remote systems can alert you when something happens, but they can’t de-escalate a confrontation, challenge unauthorised access, or adapt to changing site conditions in real time.

Factories don’t fail at predictable moments. They fail during transitions: shift changes, late deliveries, quiet overnight periods, or when temporary workers arrive in volume. That’s where trained, mobile human presence changes outcomes.

How UK crime patterns shape factory risk

Across the UK, factory-related incidents are less about dramatic break-ins and more about opportunistic access and timing-based theft.

Common national patterns include:

• Vehicle-enabled theft from yards and loading bays
• Metal, fuel, and equipment theft from poorly lit industrial edges
• Internal loss linked to contractor or agency turnover
• Trespass and vandalism during extended quiet periods

These risks don’t concentrate neatly in city centres. They show up on logistics parks, rural processing sites, and coastal industrial estates just as often. This is particularly visible across the North East, where ports, fabrication yards, and dispersed industrial parks create timing-driven vulnerabilities that differ sharply from compact urban factory sites.

What matters is not the postcode, it’s exposure:

• Multiple access points
• Long perimeters
• Mixed workforces
• Irregular operating hours

Factories with those characteristics tend to benefit most from proportionate manned security.

When factories are most vulnerable

Peak risk hours across UK industrial sites usually follow operational rhythms rather than clock time:

• Early mornings as first shifts arrive and deliveries begin
• Late afternoons and evenings during shift changeovers
• Overnight, when staffing is lean and supervision drops
• Weekends on sites that shut production but still store high-value stock

These windows are where unauthorised access, vehicle theft, and internal shrinkage most often occur.

Good factory security doesn’t blanket 24/7 coverage by default. It targets these pressure points.

Warehouses and distribution centres: a different threat profile

Modern warehouses and factories face specific vulnerabilities:

• Trailers left unattended in open yards
• Goods staged externally awaiting collection
• Multiple doors are used by drivers, contractors, and staff
• Blind spots created by racking, refrigeration units, or plant equipment

Remote cameras can record these spaces. Guards can manage them.

Visible patrols, delivery verification, and perimeter checks reduce loss by interrupting opportunities rather than creating perfect surveillance.

Daytime risk vs night-time risk

The nature of factory risk changes dramatically after dark.

During the day, issues tend to involve:

• Theft during busy loading periods
• Distraction techniques
• Staff confrontations or unauthorised access

At night, the problems shift toward:

• Trespass and vandalism
• Break-ins
• Vehicle theft
• Utility tampering

Effective factory security adapts to this difference. Daytime guarding prioritises movement and interaction. Night coverage focuses on deterrence, verification, and secure-down procedures.

Seasonal and event-driven pressure

Even outside retail, factories feel the impact of seasonal demand and local events.

Harvest cycles, Christmas distribution peaks, large public events, and regional festivals all increase movement around industrial estates. Temporary workers arrive. Delivery volumes spike. Yard congestion rises.

These moments often justify short-term increases in manned guarding, not because crime suddenly explodes, but because complexity does.

Transport links and industrial exposure

Factories located near major transport routes, ports, rail terminals, and motorway junctions see higher transient footfall. That brings commercial opportunity, but also greater exposure to unauthorised access and vehicle-based crime.

Security planning in these areas usually focuses on:

• Controlled entry points
• Patrols aligned to arrival/departure times
• Coordination with CCTV and remote monitoring

Again, timing matters more than permanence.

Economic pressure and industrial growth

Finally, broader economic conditions influence demand for factory security.

During growth phases, businesses expand operations, add shifts, and onboard contractors quickly, increasing the complexity of access.

During tighter periods, opportunistic theft rises as margins shrink and supervision thins.

In both cases, factory security becomes a stabilising force, protecting assets, supporting insurers, and helping businesses maintain operational continuity amid changing external pressures.

Legal & compliance requirements for factory security: What buyers actually need to know

Legal and compliance issues are where security shifts from a “nice to have” to a contractual and insurance-critical requirement. Most buyers only see this when a claim is made, a licensing check happens, or a regulator asks for evidence. That’s why you should treat this part of procurement as a checklist, not optional reading.

1. SIA licences: The baseline for licensable guarding activity

Anyone carrying out licensable guarding duties (patrols, preventing theft, searching people, controlling access) must hold the appropriate SIA licence. That requirement is UK-wide and applies to individual operatives as well as conditions on licence-linked training before issuing the licence. Buyers should ask for SIA licence numbers for each individual deployed and proof that the supplier checks them.

Using unlicensed operatives is a criminal offence under the Private Security Industry Act and can lead to prosecution, fines and enforcement action against providers and it creates serious insurance exposure for clients who cannot show they exercised due diligence. Always treat SIA checks as a procurement minimum. 

2. Vetting: BS 7858 and DBS

The recognised vetting benchmark for security staff is BS 7858 (background screening standard). For roles with access to plant, goods or sensitive processes, ask suppliers for a summary of the BS 7858 checks performed (ID, employment history, right-to-work, references). This is what insurers and auditors expect to see in a compliant supply chain.

DBS checks are not universally mandatory for every security role, but they are commonly requested where staff have unsupervised access to vulnerable people, secure areas, or where contract terms require them. Follow the DBS guidance and only request the level of check proportionate to the role. Always record the rationale for any DBS requirement in the contract.

3. Insurance: What certificates to ask for

Suppliers must carry Employers’ Liability insurance (minimum cover is commonly expected at £5m) and public liability insurance appropriate to the scope of work; these policies are central to handling claims arising from guard activity or on-site incidents. Collect insurer names, policy numbers, and expiry dates and require notification of changes. If a provider can’t produce these, stop the mobilisation. Insurers will treat that as a material exposure.

4. CCTV, data protection and evidence handling

When factory security works alongside CCTV, GDPR/Data Protection law applies. That means documented retention schedules, clear signage where appropriate, a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for high-risk systems, and restricted access to footage. Businesses should maintain a short, publishable CCTV policy that explains purpose, retention, request/response process, and how footage is shared with police. The ICO’s guidance is the operational reference.

Police forces increasingly expect digital evidence to be shareable quickly (many use platforms/standards such as DESC or secure upload portals). Make sure your supplier understands local police evidence submission methods and that footage is exported in a usable format (time-stamped, original codec where possible). This reduces investigation friction and shortens claim times.

5. VAT & contracting notes

Security services are typically contracted, and procurement teams should model VAT and pass-through costs correctly. For public-sector buyers, specific contract headings may allow VAT recovery on contracted services. Check your finance team or HMRC guidance when preparing tenders. Document how VAT is treated in any supplier quote.

6. Labour, overtime and right-to-work checks

Security contracts are labour-intensive. Buyers must make sure suppliers comply with employment law:

• Working time & rest: Guards are protected by the Working Time Regulations (rest breaks, maximum weekly hours, night-work rules), which ensure rostering meets these legal minima and that providers document opt-outs where lawfully used.
• Minimum pay & increases: Suppliers must pay at least the National Minimum/National Living Wage (rates update annually), and procurement should allow for wage escalation clauses in longer contracts. Ask for the supplier’s wage policy and how they will absorb or pass through rate changes.
• Right to work / post-Brexit rules: Since immigration rules changed, suppliers must carry out robust right-to-work checks for EU and non-EU nationals. Ask for a sample right-to-work audit and for confirmation that they follow the GOV.UK guidance. A failure here creates criminal and civil risks for both the provider and the client.

7. Martyn’s Law / Protect Duty and event-facing factory sites

The Protect Duty (Martyn’s Law) reforms are extending obligations for public-facing venues and events; where factories host open days, markets, or public access, expect more documented risk assessments and proportionate mitigations to be required. Factor this into planning for any factory site that runs events or invites public access. (Policy implementation timelines and scope vary; check the latest Home Office guidance when planning.)

8. Local rules, councils and construction sites

Local authorities (planning, licensing and construction regulators) may include security conditions in event licences, planning conditions or site licences (for construction-facing factories or mixed-use developments). If you operate near ports, quays or within a BID/BCRP area, check local authority or port rules and ask suppliers how they will evidence compliance for inspections. Local rules vary; treat this as a standard procurement query.

9. Police collaboration, BCRPs and evidence sharing

Best practice is to operate within local Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs) or equivalent; these structures enable intelligence sharing, repeat-offender lists, and coordinated CCTV/incident feeds between businesses and police. Ask whether your supplier already participates in local BCRP activity; evidence of active partnership is a positive procurement signal. Also, confirm how they will share footage and incident packs with police (DESC or approved upload routes are common).

Costs, contracts, and deployment: What factory security really costs in the UK

Factory security costs are rarely driven by geography alone. A compact urban unit can be cheaper to protect than a quiet rural warehouse. A single-entrance plant may cost less than a modern distribution centre with five loading bays and a trailer park. What you’re paying for is not just hours on site, it’s reliability, responsiveness, and continuity of cover.

Understanding what actually shapes pricing helps avoid false economies.

What typically drives factory security costs

Across the UK, pricing is influenced by a combination of site design and operating pattern:

1. Site complexity

• Length of perimeter
• Number of access points
• Presence of external yards or trailer parks
• Lighting quality and line-of-sight issues

Large, spread-out sites cost more to secure consistently than compact facilities because patrol time increases and backup staff must travel further.

2. Operating hours

Factories running:

• early starts,
• late finishes,
• or 24/7 shifts

require overlapping coverage and standby capacity. This adds cost compared with single-shift operations.

3. Urban vs suburban/rural locations

City-centre industrial units often benefit from:

• shorter guard travel times
• easier relief cover
• stronger public lighting

Suburban or rural factories usually cost more to protect because:

• guards travel further
• The relief cover takes longer to arrive
• Vehicle patrols may be required

So while hourly rates can look similar on paper, the total delivery cost is often higher outside dense urban areas. Regions such as Yorkshire & The Humber, with large warehousing corridors and spread-out manufacturing estates, often see this effect most clearly, as patrol distance and relief travel time become real cost drivers.

4. What the guard is expected to do

A guard who simply observes is cheaper than one who must:

• manage contractor access
• verify deliveries
• handle alarms
• produce detailed reports
• coordinate with remote monitoring

Responsibility adds cost but also value.

Typical deployment timelines

Businesses often underestimate how long proper mobilisation takes.

As a rough UK guide:

• Emergency short-notice cover: 24–72 hours (limited vetting, premium rates)
• Planned mobilisation: 7–21 days (licence checks, vetting, inductions, site briefing)
• Large or sensitive sites: 3–6 weeks (access permissions, equipment setup, reporting integration)

If you need a guaranteed rapid response, expect to pay for standby capacity. Similar mobilisation challenges occur in parts of Wales, where rural factory locations result in longer travel times for relief staff and higher premiums for guaranteed coverage.

Contract lengths and notice periods

Most factory security contracts fall into three categories:

Short-term/seasonal

• 1–3 months
• Notice: 7–30 days
  Used for peak production, audits, or incident recovery.

Standard operational contracts

• 6–12 months
• Notice: 30–60 days
  Common for ongoing guarding aligned to shift patterns.

Longer rolling agreements

• 12 months+ with performance reviews
• Notice: 60–90 days

These usually include escalation clauses linked to wages or inflation.

A practical tip: always include mobilisation and exit clauses so changes don’t leave your site uncovered.

Wage pressure and 2025 cost trends

Labour is the single biggest cost in factory security.

Recent and ongoing pressures include:

• National Living Wage increases
• A higher pension and NI contributions
• fuel and travel costs
• mandatory training requirements

In 2025, most providers are passing these increases through via:

• higher hourly rates
• CPI-linked contract escalators
• revised night and weekend premiums

If a long-term contract has no escalation mechanism, either quality will fall, or pricing will be renegotiated later. Neither outcome helps continuity.

Inflation and long-term pricing reality

Fixed multi-year pricing is becoming rare.

Instead, expect:

• annual reviews tied to CPI or wage benchmarks
• transparency around labour cost changes
• break clauses if increases exceed agreed thresholds

From a buyer’s perspective, this is healthier than artificially low fixed pricing that collapses mid-contract.

How factory security supports insurance outcomes

Manned security does not automatically reduce premiums.

What it does provide is defensible risk management:

• visible deterrence
• documented patrols
• time-stamped incident reports
• verified alarm responses

Insurers value evidence.

Factories that can show structured guarding, proper reporting, and reduced incident frequency are in a stronger position during renewals and claims discussions.

Many businesses now ask providers for monthly “security evidence packs” to share with insurers.

That simple step often matters more than raw guard hours.

Public sector factories and the Procurement Act 2023

For publicly owned or council-managed industrial sites, the Procurement Act 2023 has changed how contracts are awarded.

The emphasis is now on:

• service continuity
• supplier transparency
• mobilisation planning
• measurable performance

Not just the lowest price.

This means bids increasingly require:

• proof of staffing resilience
• clear escalation processes
• KPI frameworks
• social value commitments

Private-sector buyers are adopting similar standards because they reduce operational risk.

A commercial reality worth remembering

Cheap security usually fails quietly.

It shows up later as:

• missed patrols
• tired guards
• incomplete reports
• slow response times

Good factory security costs more upfront, but it buys stability. What you are really paying for is not presence. It’s consistency under pressure.

Training, Daily Operations & Guard Duties

Factory security works best when guards are trained to think like site operators to spot the small, telltale changes that precede a loss and to act in ways that preserve evidence and keep people safe. Below is a buyer-friendly, operational picture of what to expect from modern factory guards across the UK: their baseline training, what they do at shift start, how handovers and patrols are run, and the records that actually protect your business.

Core training & baseline standards

Don’t confuse the job with a post-box role. Ask for these minimums:

• SIA licence (where duties are licensable) and proof that the provider checks licence validity.
• BS 7858-style vetting (identity, employment history, right-to-work) for operatives with site access.
• Conflict management & verbal de-escalation tailored to industrial settings (contractor disputes, stressed drivers).
• Basic first aid and lone-worker awareness for early/late shifts.
• Fire safety & permit-to-work familiarisation relevant to production areas.
• Digital reporting & evidence handling (how to tag, export and hand footage to police/insurers).
• Site induction covering plant hazards, restricted zones, and authorised routes.
  DBS checks are role-dependent; request them when guards supervise visitors, vulnerable people, or when entering sensitive areas.

First actions on arrival (the realistic first 5–10 minutes)

A useful guard doesn’t start with a long loop they orient:

1. Read the handover: three priority items (incidents, outstanding faults, planned deliveries).
2. Kit check: radio, bodycam, torch, keys, battery levels, log any failures.
3. CCTV quick-check: confirm that the main cameras are recording (time stamp & live view).
4. Sightline sweep: entrance, main yard, loading bays and any temporary staging areas. Note immediate hazards (e.g., blocked exits).
   If something’s wrong, the guard escalates before footfall increases; that small step prevents bigger failures later.

Handover discipline 

Good handovers follow a simple template:

• Outgoing: three items (what happened, what’s outstanding, who’s responsible).
• Incoming: repeat back and sign.
  Record any unresolved items with an action owner and deadline. This keeps continuity during shift churn and seasonal rostering.

Patrol cadence: risk-led, not clock-driven

Patrol frequency should match the site’s rhythm:

• Peak windows (shift change, vessel/lorry arrivals): hotspot checks every 10–20 minutes.
• Transition/delivery periods: focused checks of yards, gate lines and staging areas.
• Quiet/night: evidence-focused patrols every 45–90 minutes, with targeted spot checks of known weak points.
  Avoid predictable loops; vary routes to deter pattern-seeking thieves.

Perimeter & industrial checks to expect first

On large sites, guards should immediately verify:

• Gates/roller doors secured and seals intact.
• No obvious tampering of locks/utility cupboards.
• Temporary staging areas are supervised or logged.
• Vehicle registrations for unusual vehicles if required.

Equipment verification & alarm approach

The start-of-duty checklist must include radios, bodycams, and CCTV health. Alarm response flow (recommended):

1. Verify via CCTV where possible.
2. Notify supervisor/monitoring.
3. Approach with backup or wait for confirmation if the risk is unknown.
4. Record every action, time, and witness.

Visitor logging & access checks

Practical logging fields: name, company, vehicle reg, arrival/departure time, who escorted them, and proof of ID when required. For high-throughput sites, a simple digital log with a timestamp is best. On dense industrial estates like those found across the West Midlands, guards also spend significant time managing contractor congestion and delivery overlap, which makes disciplined access logging just as important as perimeter patrols.

Reporting, fire & lighting checks

Hourly or post-patrol notes should include: patrol time, anomalies, weather impact, lighting failures (location), and fire-door/escape route status. Photograph faults where safe photos are powerful evidence for insurers.

Tamper detection & end-of-shift secure-down

Guards note exposed cables, cut seals, opened utilities and photograph. Secure-down steps before leaving: doors/gates locked, alarms set, keys logged, and, if any incident occurred, the final CCTV clip exported.

Shift patterns, welfare & supervisory checks

For 24/7 cover, buyers should expect:

• Peak overlap for handovers.
• Shorter continuous night stints and mandatory relief.
• Supervisor check-ins for lone posts every 30–60 minutes (logged).
  Private guard response SLAs for local relief commonly range from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on proximity; always confirm in the SLA.

What to insist on in your contract

• Start-of-shift and hourly log templates.
• Mandatory handover format (3 items rule).
• Supervisor check-in cadence for lone/night posts.
• Clear alarm escalation steps and evidence-export requirements.

These procedural details are what insurers, police and auditors want to see, and they’re what stop small incidents from becoming large losses.

Performance, risks, and staffing challenges:  How to tell if factory security is actually working

Security doesn’t fail loudly. It usually erodes quietly, with missed patrols, tired guards, weaker reports, and slower responses. That’s why factory operators need clear performance signals, not just confirmation that someone was on site.

This section focuses on what to measure, what degrades coverage, and how staffing pressures appear in day-to-day operations.

The KPIs that actually matter on factory sites

Forget vanity metrics like “hours covered.” Track outcomes that reflect real protection:

Coverage adherence

Did guards complete patrols during agreed risk windows (shift changes, deliveries, overnight)? Missed peak patrols matter more than total hours.

Mean time to verify or escalate

How quickly alarms or incidents are confirmed and acted on. This shows whether procedures work under pressure.

Incident repeat rate

How often the same hotspot or method reappears. Falling repeat rates indicate deterrence is working.

Report quality

Are logs complete with timestamps, photos, CCTV references, and actions taken? Poor reports weaken insurance claims.

Loss per comparable period

Compare monthly or quarterly losses against a baseline. This is the clearest commercial indicator. Ask for a simple monthly dashboard showing these five measures.

Weather: an underestimated performance risk

Across the UK, weather conditions directly affect factory security. High winds reduce visibility. Heavy rain floods yards. Ice changes patrol routes. Coastal sites face salt exposure. Rural estates lose lighting in storms. In areas of Scotland where factories operate in more exposed or remote locations, weather disruptions amplify fatigue risk and make supervisory check-ins and documented patrol adjustments even more important.

Good providers require guards to log weather conditions when they affect coverage:

• Visibility changes
• Flooded or inaccessible areas
• Icy surfaces
• Lighting outages

These notes are added to patrol records and incident reports. They turn weather from an excuse into a documented context essential during claim reviews.

The impact of long and fragmented shifts

Extended or irregular shifts don’t just affect morale; they change decision quality.

Common signs on factory sites include:

• Slower response to alarms
• Reduced situational scanning
• Shorter, less detailed reports
• Guards sticking to obvious routes and missing secondary areas

From a buyer’s perspective, this shows up as continuity risk: coverage exists, but its protective value declines.

That’s why contract terms around relief cover, supervisor check-ins, and maximum shift lengths matter as much as hourly rates.

Mental well-being on night and lone posts

Factories often require overnight or isolated guarding. While clients don’t manage guards directly, they should expect suppliers to demonstrate basic welfare safeguards:

• Scheduled supervisor check-ins
• Clear escalation routes after stressful incidents
• Rotated lone duties where possible
• Fatigue-aware rostering

You don’t need a provider’s HR manual, just evidence that welfare is considered operationally, because unsupported guards make poorer decisions.

Environmental and regulatory constraints

Outdoor patrols must respect:

• Local planning conditions (lighting limits, vehicle access)
• Environmental protections on industrial or coastal land
• Health and safety rules around plant areas and utilities

Security plans should reflect these constraints with documented patrol routes and alternative coverage methods (CCTV cross-monitoring, timed checks). If routes are unsafe, that must be recorded and mitigated, not ignored.

Staffing pressure: what factory operators actually experience

Labour shortages don’t usually present as “we can’t staff your site.” They appear as:

• Higher use of relief guards unfamiliar with your layout
• Shorter notice rota changes
• Increased premiums for guaranteed cover
• Hybrid models (on-site during peaks, remote monitoring off-peak)

These are market responses, not service failures, but buyers should assess whether they preserve continuity and evidence quality.

The question isn’t “are guards hard to find?” It’s “Does my provider maintain consistent coverage and reporting when staffing tightens?”

Practical early warning signs of declining performance

Act early if you see:

• Patrol logs are becoming shorter or generic
• Repeated missed peak windows
• Rising incident repetition at the same locations
• Slower alarm verification
• More frequent staff changes on your site

These indicators usually appear weeks before serious losses.

A buyer’s rule of thumb

Good factory security shows up as:

• Fewer repeat incidents
• Faster verification
• Better documentation
• Calmer operations during pressure windows

If your reports are improving while losses fall, your security plan is working. If hours remain the same but outcomes worsen, something underneath is breaking.

Technology & Future Trends in UK Factory Security

Technology has changed how factories spot and manage risk, not why they need human judgement. In the UK, the sensible use of tech helps security teams focus scarce on-site time where it matters most: shift handovers, deliveries, trailer parks and quiet overnight windows. Below is a practical guide to the tools that work, their limits, and what buyers should ask for.

CCTV + integrations: better direction, not replacement

Modern CCTV systems do more than record. They:

• Provide live situational awareness for guards and control rooms.
• Make evidence extraction quicker (timestamped clips ready for police/insurers).
• Integrate with access control, alarm panels and ANPR (vehicle tracking at gate lines).

Buyer tip: insist on systems that export native, time-stamped clips and that the supplier can demonstrate a fast evidence-pack workflow for police upload.

Post-COVID Realities

After the pandemic, many sites maintained lower, permanent front-of-house staffing levels. The practical result is hybrid models:

• On-site guards during predictable peaks (shift changes, arrivals).
• Remote monitoring during long, quiet periods.
• Defined escalation scripts so remote alerts become direct guard tasks.

This cuts costs without creating blind spots if the escalation chain is tight and tested.

AI Analytics: flagging patterns, not making decisions

AI is best used to surface anomalies: repeated loitering, unusual vehicle movement, or cluster behaviours in yards. It excels at spotting volume patterns that humans might miss.

Crucial limits:

• AI flags; humans judge.
• False positives are common unless systems are well-tuned to the site.
• Buyers should request false-positive statistics and a short pilot before a full rollout.

Remote monitoring: cost-effective, if escalation works

Remote monitoring is effective when it’s part of a hybrid package. It reduces night-time headcount while keeping a human decision layer through a monitoring team that can dispatch on-site teams when needed.

Ask: What is the verified mean time to verify/escalate from the monitoring centre to on-site action?

Drones: useful for perimeter checks, limited for routine use

Drones can inspect hard-to-reach areas of yards, count containers, or survey after an incident. But routine use is constrained by:

• CAA regulation and required operator certification,
• Weather (wind and rain in many UK coastal and inland sites),
• Privacy and data-protection concerns when flying near public spaces.

Use case: post-incident evidence capture or large-perimeter checks, not daily patrol replacements.

Predictive analytics: plan coverage around production cycles

When built on quality data, predictive tools combine incident history, delivery schedules, production peaks and weather to suggest when extra cover is sensible. For example, predictive outputs can flag weeks with high trailer turnover or coincident vessel arrivals exactly when short, targeted surge cover pays for itself.

This data-led approach is increasingly common across the East of England, where logistics hubs and distribution parks rely on predictive modelling to align guarding with vehicle movements and seasonal throughput.

Buyer note: predictive models are only as good as the inputs; log quality matters.

Upskilling: the new essentials for guards

Modern guards need more than presence. Essential upskilling includes:

• Digital incident reporting (quick exports, metadata tagging).
• Basic AI-alert validation (knowing which flags to prioritise).
• CCTV playback and evidence export proficiency.
• Data-protection (ICO) awareness for footage handling.
• CAA-certified skills if drones are part of the service.

Ask suppliers for a short skills matrix showing who has which certifications.

Green & sustainable security practices

Small changes reduce emissions and operating costs:

• Route optimisation for vehicle patrols (cluster checks).
• Electric vehicles for on-site patrols where charging exists.
• LED/low-glare lighting that supports CCTV without harming conservation requirements.
• Shared monitoring infrastructure across neighbouring sites to reduce duplicated hardware.

These are practical, not ideological and often save money once operationally proven.

Martyn’s Law (Protect Duty): what factories should prepare for

If your site hosts public access events (open days, charity events, markets), the Protect Duty increases the need for documented risk awareness and coordinated response. Practical steps now:

• Map public access points.
• Show how tech + people detect and respond to incidents.
• Keep a simple, publishable plan that shows who is responsible for each alert.

This documentation often overlaps with insurer expectations as well.

Conclusion

Factory security works best when it’s planned like any other operational control. Not as a fixed cost. Not as a panic response after an incident. But as a proportionate system that matches how your site actually runs shifts, deliveries, contractors, quiet hours, and pressure points.

Across the UK, the factories that see the strongest results don’t default to blanket cover. They start by mapping when and where risk concentrates, trial targeted manned presence during those windows, and measure outcomes: coverage adherence, incident repeat rate, response speed, and report quality. From there, they scale up or down, integrate CCTV and remote monitoring where it genuinely adds value, and keep compliance evidence ready for insurers and auditors.

That approach ultimately answers the question of why UK businesses need factory security. Not because every site needs constant guarding, but because well-planned human presence, supported by technology and clear processes, stabilises operations, protects staff, and turns security into something finance teams and insurers can actually support.

If you’re reviewing your own setup, start small and specific. Identify three risk windows this month. Trial-focused coverage. Measure what changes. Then decide with data, not assumptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do all factories in the UK need manned security?

No, Many sites benefit from short, targeted deployments during shift changes, delivery peaks, or after repeat incidents rather than full-time cover.

2. Can CCTV replace factory guards?

CCTV records and alerts. Guards deter, intervene, and manage people in real time. The strongest setups use both together.

3. Will factory security automatically reduce insurance premiums?

Not automatically. Insurers value documented risk control, visible guarding, quality reports, and reduced incident frequency, which can improve renewal terms.

4. What checks should I request from a security provider before mobilisation?

Ask for SIA licence details, BS 7858 vetting summaries, employer’s and public liability insurance certificates, right-to-work checks, and a CCTV/data-handling policy.

5. How quickly can factory security be deployed?

Short-notice cover may be possible in 24–72 hours, but properly vetted, inducted teams usually take 7–21 days, depending on site complexity.

6. How do I know if security performance is slipping?

Early signs include missed peak patrols, generic reports, repeated incidents in the same locations, slower alarm verification, and frequent guard changes.

7. Are drones practical for UK factory sites?

Sometimes, mainly for perimeter checks or post-incident surveys. Weather, regulation and privacy concerns usually limit routine use.

8. What’s the simplest way to decide if my site needs guarding?

Create a one-page risk brief: busiest times, weakest access points, recent incidents. Use it to run a short, measurable trial rather than committing to the long term.