The shopfront security checklist we run for inner-north traders
Retail and hospitality doors get used hundreds of times a day and are secured by hardware chosen for a house. Here is the audit we run.
Smith Street, Gertrude Street, Bridge Road and Sydney Road all share the same pattern: high-traffic glass doors, staff turnover, and back-of-house doors nobody has looked at in a decade. This is the checklist we work through.
1. The customer door
Aluminium and frameless glass doors use patch locks and floor pivots that wear out under retail traffic. Check for lateral play in the door, a hook bolt that no longer seats cleanly, and a closer that slams. All three are cheap now and a locked-out trading day later.
2. Roller shutters and grilles
Shutter locks are usually the weakest hardware on the whole site. Central locks with exposed cylinders, worn guides and bent bottom rails are what we get called to at close on a Saturday night. Lubricate guides, replace tired cylinders, and keep a manual override procedure written down where staff can find it.
3. Staff keys and turnover
Hospitality turnover means keys walk. If you cannot say with certainty how many copies of your back door key exist, the honest answer is 'too many'. A restricted key system with a signed register fixes this permanently and costs less than one break-in excess.
4. Back of house and deliveries
Rear laneway doors are propped open during deliveries and forgotten. Fit a door closer with a hold-open that resets, keep a deadlock on the door for after hours, and check the strike is anchored into masonry rather than a soft frame.
5. Compliance and egress
Exit doors must open from inside without a key, a tool or special knowledge whenever people are on site. Chaining a fire exit during trade is both a serious safety hazard and an offence. If you need it secure after hours and free during trade, there is compliant hardware for exactly that — ask.
6. Safes, tills and float handling
A drop safe bolted into a slab beats a strongbox in a cupboard. Change the combination when a manager leaves, not eventually. Keep the safe out of sight of the customer floor.
The short version
- 01Patch locks and pivots wear out faster than anyone expects.
- 02Shutter hardware fails at the worst possible hour — service it.
- 03Restricted keys solve staff turnover permanently.
- 04Exit doors must open freely from inside during trade.
FAQ
Questions people ask us about this
- Can you do commercial lock work after we close?
- Yes. Most commercial installs and upgrades are done outside trading hours specifically so your doors are never out of service while customers are on site.
- How quickly can a jammed shutter be dealt with?
- Emergency shutter and shopfront callouts run 24 hours. We prioritise making the site secure first and complete permanent repairs once the site is safe.