With many retailers in optics still feeling the bite of the recession, the violent civil unrest that shook the country last week could not have come at a more inopportune time. Many practices suffered damage and some were forced to close on the advice of police.
Although optical practices don't stand out as primary targets for robbery and vandalism, the destruction was indiscriminate. Many practices have an element of desirability in terms of the designer brand frames and sunglasses that are easy for thieves to sell on. As such, they can be quickly identified as targets.
Downturn in trade is another issue facing practices. For days, many of the streets in the towns involved were empty due to fear among the general public and many stores were forced to close on police advice. A Specsavers store in one of the worst-affected areas, Croydon, reported that in the days after the riots, trade was approximately 50 per cent of what it should have been.
The riots have brought the issues of security, business continuity and insurance sharply into focus. In a time when businesses have been looking to cut expenditure in areas such as security, the recent events could see many reconsidering these decisions.
Immediately after the riots, there was widespread confusion and scaremongering by media outlets over levels of insurance cover, with many retailers fearing that the riots would not be covered by their insurance companies. The insurance sector as a whole was quick to address these concerns, collectively stating that rioting would be covered, something which was later backed up by the Government who made £20m worth of funds available to businesses caught up in the riots.
Despite the messages stating there will be support, doubts have lingered over the exact levels of coverage and the speed at which claims can be processed - something which could have a huge impact on independent practices. Mohammad Khan, a partner at professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers said: 'The key issue is how quickly insurers can deal with claims as many small businesses may not have the cash flow to survive without quick payments and more will not have business interruption insurance.
'Customers have to check the wording of their policies carefully. Generally events like riots are included within the terms of the insurance but there may be exceptions to this.'
Bolstering security is also proving to be popular among retailers. 'We have seen an understandable increase in the number of requests for security personnel and security advice as a result of the riots,' said Colin Moore, vice-chairman of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) security guarding section.
CCTV is good for gathering evidence, but as demonstrated in the riots, most intruders will seek to hide their identity. A monitored alarm system is the mainstay of the majority of security systems and will often provide enough of a deterrent to intruders. However, Andy Clutton, the editor of security and business continuity magazine, Risk UK said: 'alarm notifications are largely ignored by operators in times of rioting'.
Products such as security fog and security strobe lights attack the senses of the intruder and can play a more prominent role in keeping them out of the premises. Security fog manufacturer, Fog Bandit, said that it had already installed systems in a number of practices in south-east England and that its systems were used successfully in a number of shops and petrol stations in the recent riots. In one instance at a petrol station, the manufacturer said that rioters stopped attempting to gain entry as soon as the fog system activated. The system reactivates if needed and can be linked to new or existing alarm systems.
Practice owners should make sure that any relevant security systems are operational. This will include checking CCTV cameras are positioned correctly, and indentifying potential weak entry points such as shutters and rear doors.
While stock can be replaced and shop displays can be rebuilt, the result of losing important data could be of much graver concern to practices. Business security and safety advisory body, City Security and Resilience Networks (CSARN) has issued a 21-point guide to checking that business continuity plans are satisfactory. It suggested that data should be backed up and copied before being removed to a remote, yet accessible location. Software exists specially for opticians, which backs up patient data and makes them available for remote access should it be required. One such piece is Optix, which helped Jo Cashell with her practice in Woolwich when it was forced to close after a nearby fire.
CSARN also advises retailers that items of high value should be moved away from window displays overnight and that as little cash as possible should be left on site. To assist with insurance claims, it also suggested that photographs were taken regularly to document buildings and stock. In the event of fire, the advice given by the body was not to remain on the property due to the number of unforeseen fire accelerants and that taking refuge in upper floors of buildings should be avoided as escape routes can become cut off and will often be unfamiliar.
By Simon Jones.
