Security reviews nowadays usually start with the complex, techy stuff – HD cameras, motion‑sensing LEDs – but in a burglary, the humble roller shutter often takes the biggest hit. A quick, structured audit once or twice a year (and after break-ins) flags weak points before somebody trying to steal your stock does it for you. Grab a clipboard, a torch, and take twenty minutes after closing to check for the following issues.
Begin outside: what does a passer‑by see?
Stand across the street at night with the shop lights off. Is the shutter sitting flush against the lintel and the pavement, or can you spot light at the edges? A 5 mm gap is more than a breeze issue; it’s enough to fit a crowbar in.
Rust streaks or flaking powder‑coat show up-keep neglect, exactly what thieves prefer. If your frontage includes grille‑style vision panels, check for broken links or missing pieces that could let a saw blade slip through.
Listen to the motor & curtain in motion
With the street quiet (if possible), cycle the shutter up and down. Grinding or uneven clunks suggest a worn gearbox or misaligned guides.
A healthy motor should hum at a steady pitch; sudden dips in speed hint at tired springs or other issues. If the curtain snags halfway, forcing it risks tearing the slats, and hands burglars a pre‑made weak spot.
Ask your maintenance crew to grease guide rails and check tension springs. Motors past the ten‑year mark, or units drawing more amps than their rating plate, should probably be replaced
Inspect locks up close
Padlocks and ground anchors collect grit and, ironically, wear fastest when they’re rarely used. Rotate the keys you’re using, spray them with the right products, and look for burrs around the staple that betray tampering.
End‑locks on the bottom bar stop thieves from rolling the curtain upwards; missing screws or even a hairline crack mean they’ll shear under a decent bit of force.
If you have any doubts, no matter how small, about the state of your locks, replace them. They’re not expensive, and it’s not worth playing around with.
Check the electrics behind
Open the shutter housing; you might be horrified. Loose cables, DIY chocolate‑block connectors, or an extension lead powering the motor are all fire risks and insurance nightmares.
Wiring should run in conduit to a clearly labelled isolator switch within reach of staff, but not street‑side vandals. A proper supplier like LBS Group will supply these instructions, and installers should follow them.
Set a preventative maintenance schedule
Preventive repairs beat emergency glazing bills every single day of the week. Book a service every six months: clean tracks, check the tension, and update the logbook. Treat it like a car oil change – something that has to be done if you want to enjoy business as usual.
Perform this audit now, schedule the fixes, and the shutter will keep doing its real job – convincing opportunist burglars to keep on walking. That, in turn, lets the fancy cameras worry about more interesting scenery than smashed glass and ripped up steel at 3 a.m. on a Sunday.
