Although each manufacturing facility will have unique needs depending on specific operations, there are some general solutions that tend to apply to every facility. Here are some important security solutions for manufacturing facilities to get you started:

1. Access Control and Alarm Monitoring

Manufacturing facilities can be high-risk environments with heavy equipment and, often, high-value equipment and materials. It’s important for security measures to be in place that promote safe working environments for staff and solutions that protect property and assets as well.

Because of this, comprehensive access control and effective alarm monitoring are important security solutions for manufacturing facilities. A comprehensive access control system provides layers of protection and access that can be customized to specific needs, areas, people, etc.

This allows authorized people to enter using their credentials, key cards, etc. while preventing unauthorized access. Access control systems also provide access logs, which can assist in identifying potential vulnerabilities and essential information should an incident occur.

Alarm monitoring and alerts are usually built-in or can be integrated from supplemental systems. Access methods and readers, levels of access and management of access, integration with other systems, and more are factors to consider in an access control system.

2. Video Surveillance

There are many benefits of a comprehensive video surveillance system and it is an important security solution for manufacturing facilities, inside and out. Modern security cameras are equipped with advanced monitoring capabilities. Using these to their full potential and integrating video surveillance with other systems can help create effective and comprehensive security.

Using the right types of security cameras in the right places allows you to identify movement, detect loitering or suspicious behavioral cues, track directional changes, capture images even in low-light or low-visibility environments, and more.

Smart security cameras can count and monitor objects, detect heat signals, recognize and capture license plates, etc. Cameras with directional change and proximity monitoring alerts can even be used to monitor and assist high-traffic areas of the facility where multiple pieces of equipment will be moving to help avoid unnecessary backups and prevent collisions.

3. Perimeter Protection

Manufacturing facilities can have sprawling campus properties, which means security also needs to extend to and beyond the building and property boundaries. Fences, gates, and other perimeter protection technologies can be installed to help secure the perimeter around the facility, parking lots or garages, as well as the outermost property boundaries.

Video surveillance systems designed for perimeter protection will be able to integrate with hi-tech gates and other systems to further enhance security in these areas. Intelligent cameras can use geo-enabled analytics to improve perimeter protection by providing a fuller view, better depth perception, and more.

4. Secure Storage

Although storage is usually more of a security concern for warehouses, it’s something that manufacturing facilities need to consider as well. Even if the facility doesn’t store finished products, there is still material, equipment, and data storage to consider.

This means that secure storage for high-value assets is still a concern for manufacturing facilities, and security solutions need to address this. Protected and secured high-value storage cages in addition to other security solutions for the facility can be a good solution for mobile equipment, finished products, raw materials, etc.

5. Environmental Monitoring

Between equipment and materials, manufacturing facilities should also include environmental monitoring when creating comprehensive security. Environmental monitoring goes beyond monitoring water temperature and quality, soil testing, or cold storage temperatures to encompass environmental monitoring applications across industries.

It can also be used to detect abnormal environments in your manufacturing facility, whether that is smoke, fire, flood, etc. Environment monitoring sensors can even alert you of leaking or broken pipes. Customizable and flexible monitoring, integration with other systems, and more are some of the benefits of environmental monitoring.

Environmental monitoring only becomes more important the more sensitive the materials are within the manufacturing facility. For facilities dealing with potentially dangerous materials, vibration sensors can be used to detect excessive vibration due to attempted break-ins or earthquakes to facilitate necessary protective and prevention measures. For high-risk facilities with advanced security requirements and oversight, environmental monitoring along with other security solutions can help protect the facility and comply with mandatory security protocols.

6. Incident Management Software

Another one of the important security solutions for manufacturing facilities is good incident management software. Ongoing improvements, meeting compliance and mandatory security protocols, mitigating risk and liability, and more are all reasons why you need incident management software.

In addition to detecting risk quickly and allowing for rapid response, good incident management software will integrate with your security systems to monitor, process, and report on alerts and data from all of them. This will allow for customized triggers and alerts, easier management, and better automation.

Robust reporting capabilities will allow you to identify potential vulnerabilities and improvements proactively and provide essential information efficiently during and after an incident. These are all things to look for in incident management software.

Upgrade Your Manufacturing Facility’s Security With NEPPS

These are just a few important security solutions for manufacturing facilities. Every manufacturing facility will have needs that are unique to its operations. A customized building vulnerability assessment will ensure that those unique needs are met for comprehensive security. If you need to implement or upgrade security in your manufacturing facility, contact NEPPS at 1-800-736-1456.