• What law applies
• What are personal security measures?
• Risk factors and ways to address them
  • Point of sale area setup
  • Retail workplace setup
  • Doors, windows and roofs
  • Cash management procedures
  • Opening and closing for business
  • Working when it is dark or working alone
  • Staff training
  • Areas beyond the retail workplace
  • Surviving a robbery ¿ and afterwards

• Risk Management
• Cash in transit Code of Practice 2011

Print-friendly page

Opening and closing for business

A workplace is more likely to be targeted for robbery while being opened or closed for business. This is because the retailer may be alone or carrying cash, and there may be fewer people about.

Risk factors

• Daily/nightly routine (which can be observed by an offender).
• Single employee responsible for opening or closing.

Suggested measures

• Establish safety procedures for opening and closing the workplace, and train employees (e.g. before entering and leaving the workplace, check for anyone loitering or signs of attempted entry, advise the police if necessary and use panic assistance systems if required).
• Arrange for more than one employee to open and close the workplace.
• Provide employees with a personal duress alarm which may be audible (to deter an offender) or silent (monitored by an accredited security monitoring station).
• Employ security services if the employee is required to carry cash when opening or closing the workplace.
• Provide additional external lighting, especially around the entrance and car park.

For more information, read the Guide to Personal Security in the Retail Industry (PDF, 434 kB).