How Many CCTV Should I Install In My Office?

How Many CCTV Should I Install In My Office? Commercial establishments in Singapore like offices are prone to attacks. There might be visitors with the intention of stealing confidential data or any employee looking to steal cash.

You can easily fill in the security gap through the installation of office security camera systems. These systems can consist of single or multiple office CCTV cameras with recording devices.

Areas that need to Covered for Surveillance

If you’re ignoring the budget aspect, you can list down all areas for coverage through the video surveillance system. In your list, you can include areas such as:

• Main exits and entrances
• Secondary exits and entrances
• Only for employee areas
• Lobbies along with other areas for customers
• Seating areas
• Cash registers
• Restaurant kitchens
• Parking lots, etc.

As you’re keeping the budget aside, you can include as many areas as you want. After completing the list, you can count each item in the list. Now, you know all the security cameras you require.

Here the emphasis is the phrase at most. Most probably this wouldn’t be the actual security cameras you require. In other sections, this would be significantly reduced.

Multitasking with Surveillance Cameras

Chances are that you might have listed a few areas of the same location. Let’s suppose you’ve listed the driveway, front yard, and front porch. Here you’re positioning three cameras at the same location. The three locations can be reduced to only a single doorbell camera.

A single-camera can easily cover different surveillance areas in the office. To save more you can use fisheye lens cameras, or PTZ for covering, 360′ views of the area. It is also possible to position different cameras in a way for checking different areas.

Are you up for expansion or making further additions?

The question doesn’t apply to everyone, but it has to be considered while you’re selecting a surveillance system. If you see any prospects for business additions, it can be helpful for counting all the cameras in total quantity.

This is possible even when they’re bought later. In this way, you’ll be sure of having a proper size recorder for supporting each required camera.

A few example additions for commercial space owners are:

• Adding bays to the warehouse that restricts camera views and need more angles for views
• A restaurant can add a bar
• A building right next to space can be built or bought

For any space in further plans, you can make a layout and get the best possible surveillance solutions for that place.

Laws for Installing Office CCTV cameras in Singapore

The installation of surveillance cameras in office spaces in Singapore is a little bit complicated due to the legal regulations. Unlike individuals, organizations have to adhere to Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) while installing CCTV’s.

Organizations can install surveillance cameras inside or outside business premises. PDPA doesn’t prohibit business organizations to install office CCTV cameras for capturing footage beyond business premises boundaries.

However, you can get subjected to PDPA obligations on whether the CCTV premises should be accessible for the public or not. It is because PDPA exempts businesses from complying with certain obligations with respect to personal data available publicly.

This is where personal data has been observed at locations available to the public with no or few restrictions for access.

PDPA Footage Guidelines Overview

The disclosure, use, or collection of CCTV camera footage needs to comply with the requirements of PDPA. This must be followed when the camera captures personal data like footages, from which identities are searched.

Singapore laws for organizational CCTV surveillance according to PDPA are as follows:

• Reasonable purpose requirement: Collection, usage, and disclosure of the personal data have to be for purposes that a reasonable person thinks of as appropriate under the circumstance.

• Consent obligation: Organization shouldn’t collect, disclose or use personal data unless the individual is deemed to provide consent to the collection, usage, and disclosure.

• Notification obligation: According to PDPA, the organization has to inform the individual about the purpose of collection, usage, and disclosure of the footage.

How Many CCTV Should I Install In My Office? – Conclusion

Coming to the conclusion, the requirement of CCTV cameras for offices can be different with different spaces, plans, Singapore laws, and budgets. Many people end up with 16 to 64 to 100 cameras for their business premises. However, the ideal way of deciding the number of surveillance cameras would be to know the layout of your property.