For any organisation, the safeguarding of its assets should be a top priority. However, having the space required to store documents, records and artefacts on site is not always possible. Taking the first step towards storing items off-site can create concerns, such as how safe they will be and who will have access. In this article, we aim to address those concerns and provide some insights into the key considerations when choosing a storage company.
There are three key areas to consider:
- Handling;
- Physical Security;
- Environment.
Handling
“The first thing to consider is who handling your items,” says Craig Trimby, Head of Sales at DeepStore. “This is a key area that guarantees security and confidentiality. Essentially, you are looking for ‘a safe pair of hands’.”
“Having staff certified for IG (Information Governance) and DPA (Data Protection Act) registered, will ensure your documents are kept confidential”, he adds.
As well as IG and DPA certifications, DeepStore staff are vetted to BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) and NPPV (Non-Police Personnel Vetting) level 3 standards. The company is also GDPR compliant and assists clients with their own compliance.
Another consideration is to check if the storage company’s employees undergo specialist document handling training. “Failure to meet this requirement could mean that valuable artefacts and historical documents are not handled in the most careful manner,” says Craig.
The use of technology can provide significant benefits for organisations. DeepStore operates O’Neil software, which provides its clients with a full audit trail and a complete chain of custody. This ensures that organisations can manage and track their assets securely via an online portal.
Craig adds: “Using a storage company that has proven quality assurance and quality control procedures for tracking and indexing improves asset management and gives organisations confidence in the knowledge that they know where their items are at any time.”
Physical Security
The next area to consider is physical security. Do the storage company’s premises prevent unauthorised access and security breaches? And, are the premises a naturally safe environment?
For example, DeepStore has a unique, ultra-secure, storage operation 150m below ground in Britain’s largest rock salt mine. There is no visible entrance and access is strictly controlled. That said, clients can easily retrieve documents either online via scan-on-demand or with same day and next day delivery services. In addition to these processes, there are also monitored CCTV and intruder alarms, BS EN 16893:2018-compliant storage rooms and GPS tracking devices on all vehicles.
“Ideally, you are looking for the most secure storage environment for your assets, but one where they can be retrieved easily if needed,” says Craig.
Environment
The third area is the environment and emergency security. The main thing to consider here is if the environment naturally provides high levels of protection from hazards for records and artefacts.
“It’s important that storage environments are naturally free from vermin, flooding, UV light and fire,” says Chris. “A storage operation should be free of all these elements and its worth checking that a provider can offer such a guarantee.”
As well as meeting these criteria, DeepStore’s rooms are fitted with a VESDA fire detection system and provide naturally stable environmental conditions with bespoke humidity and temperature control systems and constant monitoring. Air is filtered in accordance with
BS EN 779, G3 and K7 air filtration, which eliminates pollutants and ensures sufficient air is circulated to maintain the recommended temperature and relative humidity, avoiding stagnant air.
The safeguarding of its assets is critical for a business. When looking to store items off-site there are three key areas to consider: safe and confidential handling, a naturally secure environment and a high level of protection from hazards. All three work together to ensure an organisation’s assets will be managed in the most proficient manner.
About DeepStore
DeepStore combines comprehensive storage solutions, state-of-the-art technology, PD 5454, ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 14001 compliance and unmatched security to provide an unrivalled service to companies and organisations nationwide. The company fully tailors its solutions to each client’s needs, utilising both quick and convenient records management services as well as longer-term archive and artefact storage in its unique underground storage environment.
