In short:
- Write the closing routine down and lock up in the same order every night, starting at the back of the premises.
- Police advice to businesses is to have at least two people at opening and closing, and to check nobody is hidden inside before you lock up.
- Back doors, delivery doors and kitchen exits are the ones most often left on the latch.
- Exits must work for people inside. Never chain or padlock an escape route while anyone is in the building.
- If a door, shutter or padlock won't lock at closing time, don't leave the premises unsecured. Call for help.
Why closing time deserves a routine
The last half hour of trading is when a shop or restaurant is at its most stretched. Staff are tired and want to get home, the till is full, the kitchen is being cleaned, deliveries for tomorrow may be arriving at the back, and the person locking up is often doing three things at once. That is exactly when a back door gets left on the latch or a padlock gets hung open "for a minute".
A written routine removes the guesswork. It also means a new staff member can close properly on their first night, and that you can tell afterwards whether a step was missed.
Two people, and a sweep before you lock
Police robbery-prevention advice for businesses, given by Vosloorus SAPS and reported in the Southern Courier, includes having at least two staff present at opening and closing, checking the entrance for signs of forced entry before going in, having one person check the premises before others enter, and confirming nobody is hidden inside at closing.
In practice, the sweep at closing means looking in every place a person could wait: toilets, storerooms, the cold room, changing rooms, under counters and behind stacked stock. Do it before the outside doors are locked, not after.
A closing order that works
- Sweep the whole premises with a second person.
- Delivery and back doors first: close, lock, and check the bolt has actually gone home by pulling the door.
- Storerooms, cold rooms and cages: lock what should be locked, and make sure nobody is inside.
- Cash and safe: follow your cash routine (below) away from the windows.
- Kitchen exit and side doors: check they're shut and secured for the night once everyone who uses them has left.
- Alarm: set it according to the alarm company's procedure.
- Front door and shutter last, with both people outside, then check the shutter's locks and padlocks from the street side.
- Record it: who closed, what time, anything that didn't lock properly.
Restaurants: kitchens, back doors and escape routes
Restaurant back doors get a lot of use: deliveries, refuse, staff on breaks. They are often propped open during service, and that's the habit that carries over into closing. Make the back door the first item on the closing list, not the last.
Escape routes need care in both directions. The building regulations (SANS 10400 Part T, fire protection) deal with exit doors and escape routes, and obstructing an escape route in a building is an offence. A door that is part of an escape route must let people out while the business is open. Locking it securely is for when the building is empty.
Never chain, padlock or bar an exit while anyone is inside: staff cleaning up, a manager doing the cash, or a delivery driver. Don't fit extra locks to a cold room or storeroom door that could stop someone getting out from inside. If you're not sure what applies to your premises, ask the municipality's fire safety officials or your landlord.
Cash, safes and the last person out
The same police advice covers cash. Keep only a small amount of easily reached cash in the till and safe, don't count large sums where the public or other staff can see, and use a dual-key, drop or delay-action time-lock safe, opening it as little as possible. Bank deposits should be made in daylight, with at least two people, varying the route, time, person and vehicle.
If your safe has a time delay, build the delay into the closing routine so nobody is tempted to rush it. If the safe refuses to open or lock at closing, our article on what to check when a safe won't open covers time delays, batteries and lockouts.
Shutters, gates and padlocks
Many shopfronts are closed with a roller shutter, a trading-hours security gate, or both, often secured with floor padlocks. These are the last things locked and the first things a passer-by sees, so a fault shows quickly.
- Check the shutter comes all the way down evenly, so its locks or padlock points line up.
- Lock padlocks rather than hanging them open during trading. An open padlock can be swapped for another.
- Look at the bottom of the shutter and the floor fittings for damage or bending after each delivery day.
- Know where the keys are kept and who has them. A shared bunch for the whole closing team is hard to control.
Our article on roller shutter door locks covers shutters in detail, and key control for businesses covers registers and staff changes.
Keys, staff and insurance
Shops and restaurants tend to have changing shifts, and people come and go. Keep the number of people who can lock up small, sign keys in and out, and change the relevant locks when a key isn't returned. Closing staff should never leave keys in a car or a bag left in the restaurant.
Insurance gives you another reason to close properly. A BusinessTech article on business insurance explains that standard theft cover typically relies on forced or violent entry or exit, and that thefts without forced entry may need extra cover. A door left unlocked can complicate a claim. Check your own policy wording.
When something won't lock at closing
A door that won't latch, a shutter lock that won't turn, or a padlock that has seized is a problem you don't want to leave until morning. Don't leave the premises unsecured, and don't wedge, chain or tie a door in a way that blocks it as an exit for the next person in.
Call us, open 24/7, and tell us:
- which door, shutter or padlock won't lock, and what it does instead;
- a photo or short video of the lock and the door edge or shutter bottom;
- whether anything was damaged, or whether it looks like an attempted break-in;
- who will be on site, and how the technician gets to the back if it's a rear door.
Our emergency locksmith service covers after-hours callouts, lock repair covers doors and shutters that won't lock, and commercial locksmith work covers shops, restaurants and offices. We ask for proof that you're authorised for the premises, try non-destructive methods first, and quote on site before any work starts. As a fully mobile mobile locksmith in Kempton Park, we come out to you. There's an R250 call-out, and payment is by EFT, cash or card.
Questions
Can we lock the back exit with a padlock at night?
Only once the building is empty. While anyone is inside, an exit has to let them out. If you need a stronger night lock on an exit, ask about options that still let people out from inside, and check what applies to your building with the municipality's fire safety officials or your landlord.
The keyholder is away and nobody can open the shop. Can you help?
Yes, we're open 24/7. We'll ask for proof that the person calling is authorised for the premises, such as an ID together with the lease or a letter from the owner, and we try non-destructive entry first.
How many people should have keys to lock up?
As few as can cover your shifts, all signed out on a key register. Police advice is to have two people present at closing, but both don't need to hold every key.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our commercial locksmith service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Kempton Park, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- Southern Courier: Armed robbery prevention tips for businesses (Vosloorus SAPS) — two staff at opening and closing, checking for forced entry and for anyone hidden inside, cash handling, dual-key, drop or delay-action safes, deposits
- SANS 10400: Part T, Fire protection (sans10400.org.za) — Part T covers exit doors and escape routes; obstructing escape routes is an offence
- BusinessTech: Business insurance theft cover might not be as straightforward as you think — theft cover usually tied to forced or violent entry; thefts without forced entry may need extra cover
- Wikipedia: Time-delay combination locks — how time-delay safe locks work and why cash businesses use them