Winter security checklist for Scottish businesses

Why winter needs its own security check

In winter it is dark before most businesses close. Many premises also stand empty over Christmas and New Year, while shops have their busiest weeks of the year.

In Scotland the festive bank holidays are Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and the New Year holidays are 1st and 2nd January. When one falls at a weekend, the holiday moves to the following weekday. Many sites close for the whole period between them, so a building can sit empty for ten days or more.

Retail crime is also high. Scottish Government figures put recorded shoplifting in 2025-26 at its highest level since 1971.

Lighting, doors and the perimeter

Walk the building at dusk, when problems are easiest to see. Check:

• External lights work and come on at the right time now the clocks have changed. Replace failed bulbs and adjust timers.
• Entrances, yards, bin stores and fire exits are lit, with no dark corners next to doors.
• Fire exit doors close and latch properly and are not wedged open.
• Roller shutters, gates and padlocks work and are not damaged.
• Fences have no gaps, and nothing is stacked against them that could be climbed.
• Ladders, bins and pallets are stored away from walls and roofs.
• Valuable stock and equipment cannot be seen from outside after closing.

Alarms, keys and who responds

Check who will respond to the alarm over the holidays, not only that it works. Before you close:

• Test the intruder alarm and confirm the monitoring or response contract is active over the closure.
• Update the keyholder list. Each keyholder should be reachable, live within a sensible distance and be available on the dates they are listed for.
• Agree who goes to the building when the alarm sounds, and what they do if they find a break-in.
• Record who holds each key, fob and alarm code, and collect keys from anyone who has left.
• If you use a security company to hold keys or respond to alarms, check its staff are licensed. GOV.UK guidance lists key holding as a licensable activity when it is carried out under a contract.

Cold weather and empty buildings

Frozen and burst pipes are a winter risk for any building that is left without heat. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) reported that home insurers settled about 8,000 claims for weather related pipe damage in 2024, at an average cost of almost £33,000. ABI figures for business claims are not broken out in the same way, but the advice transfers:

• Leave heating on a frost setting or a timer while the building is closed.
• Know where the stopcock is and test that it turns.
• Insulate exposed pipes and tanks in roof spaces and outbuildings.
• Read your insurance policy for conditions on empty premises. The ABI notes that some policies apply restrictions once a property has been unoccupied for a set period.
• Arrange for someone to check inside the building during a long closure, so a leak or a break-in is found within days rather than on the first day back. If you use a patrol company, ask what its officers check inside. On Guard officers check for signs of entry and damage; they do not check for leaks or heating faults.

Staff safety on dark evenings

Winter means more staff open up and lock up in the dark. The Health and Safety Executive's guidance on lone working says employers "should provide training, supervision, monitoring and support for lone workers".

• Review who locks up alone, and whether that can be done in pairs during the darkest months.
• Agree a check-in: a call or message to a named person once the building is locked and the member of staff has left.
• Keep cash in the building to a minimum, and vary the time and route for banking.
• Make sure staff know they should not challenge intruders. Their job is to leave and call the police.
• Light the route from the door to where staff park or wait for transport.

Shops over the festive period

Shops face more customers, more stock on the floor and more temporary staff in December. Scottish Government figures, as reported by Scottish Grocer, show common assaults on retail workers rose 10% in 2025-26, from 2,870 to 3,162. Our page on retail security in Edinburgh at Christmas covers festive shop cover in more detail.

• Brief temporary staff on what to do when they see theft, and when not to get involved.
• Keep high value lines near the till or in view of staff.
• Check that CCTV records, covers the entrance and has enough storage for the busy period.
• Plan cover for late opening nights, when staff numbers can be lower than customer numbers.
• Record every incident, including ones that seem minor. Patterns are easier to act on with a written record.

When to bring in security staff

Some sites can be covered by good locks, a monitored alarm and reliable keyholders. Others need people. Licensed security is worth considering when:

• The building holds stock, plant or equipment that is valuable or easy to sell on.
• The site has been broken into or vandalised before.
• The closure is long and nobody is available to check the building.
• A shop has repeat theft or abuse of staff during busy trading.
• Your insurer has asked for extra security while the premises are empty.

The usual options are a static guard on site, mobile patrols that visit at set or varied times, or a mix of the two. Our guide to manned guarding vs mobile patrols explains how to choose, and our winter security patrols in Edinburgh cover premises closed over the holidays.

Learn about On Guard Security

Winter security works best when it is planned around the building, what it holds and the dates it will be closed. Every On Guard Security officer is SIA licensed. The team provides static guarding, mobile patrols, keyholding and alarm response, and retail security across Edinburgh, Glasgow and the rest of Scotland. Patrols start with a site audit, run at varied times and are time-stamped, with hourly walkthrough videos and WhatsApp updates available depending on the package.

Get in touch and we will learn about your premises and requirements, then provide a tailored quotation and security plan or loss prevention plan. Most enquiries get a written quote within 24 hours, most Edinburgh and Glasgow deployments are within 2 to 4 hours, and there is a 24/7 emergency line. See our commercial security page for details, or read more about On Guard Security and founder Dean Waters.