Out-of-Hours Site Security Checklist (Interactive, UK)

The checklist

What should you check before leaving a site for the night?

Work through each section at lock-up. Ticks are saved in this browser on this device only and nothing is sent to us. Adapt it to your site and your own risk assessments.

25 checks

Perimeter, gates and doors 5 checks

Gates closed and locked, chains and padlocks in good condition
Fences walked or checked on camera for gaps, damage or anything stacked against them
External doors, roller shutters and windows shut and locked
Keys and fobs accounted for and stored securely
Vehicles and plant locked, keys removed and stored away

Lighting and visibility 3 checks

External lighting working, including any motion lights
Nothing blocking lights or camera views, such as stacked pallets, skips or parked vehicles
Signage in place where CCTV is in use

CCTV coverage and alerts 5 checks

Every camera online and recording, with the right date and time
Cameras cover gates, the perimeter, storage areas and anywhere at risk of fire
Detection zones and schedules set for out of hours
Alerts go to the right people by app, email or SMS, and someone is named to receive them
CCTV use reviewed against data protection guidance^[4]

Fire risks after hours 5 checks

Fire risk assessment in place and reviewed^[2]
Waste, combustibles and pallets kept away from buildings and fences
Hot work finished well before close, with the fire watch completed (see the hot works guide)
Battery chargers and electrical equipment switched off where safe, or charging areas checked
Permitted waste sites: security measures and CCTV and alarm locations as set out in the fire prevention plan^[1]

Keyholders and lone working 4 checks

Keyholder rota up to date and contact details checked
Clear plan for what happens when an alert comes in: who checks the clip, who attends, who calls the emergency services
Lone working risks assessed for anyone who locks up or attends after hours^[3]
Last person out follows the lock-up routine and records it

Review and improve 3 checks

Alerts from the last week reviewed, and the feedback button used to mark them useful or not
Any incidents or near misses logged and acted on
Checklist reviewed when the site layout, stock or shifts change

Check what your existing cameras can cover out of hours

A free site assessment checks which cameras can be connected, what each can see and which detections are supported.

Book a free site assessment

Layers

Why do layers matter out of hours?

No single measure secures a site on its own. A locked gate slows someone down, lights and cameras make them visible, and an alert only helps if someone is ready to act on it.

For permitted waste sites the Environment Agency is explicit: fire prevention plans must include security measures such as security fencing, intruder alarms and CCTV, and say where the CCTV and alarms are.^[1] Every business premises also needs a fire risk assessment, carried out and reviewed by the responsible person.^[2]

Illustrative: each layer backs up the others. No single measure secures a site on its own.

Existing CCTV

Where AI on existing CCTV fits

Cameras record what happened; AI can tell someone while it is happening. Where a camera has a clear view, Woodcock AI can watch for people or vehicles in a zone after hours and for visible smoke or flame, and send an alert with the clip by app, email or SMS.

Alerts to a monitoring centre (ARC) and phone-call alerts are available as optional add-ons. It works on the cameras you already have, learns each camera with a feedback button, and complements, rather than replaces, locks, alarms, guards and certified fire detection. If you are weighing up options, see AI CCTV vs security guards and AI CCTV vs remote monitoring.

Illustrative mock-up of four night-time camera views of an empty yard, with AI boxes around parked vans and an open gate zone — Illustrative mock-up. No people shown.

Zones and schedules

Set what matters after hours

Draw zones over gates, fences and storage areas and set them to alert out of hours only, so daytime activity does not trigger alerts.

Illustrative example of a phone on a gatehouse desk at night showing an alert from the gate camera with a clip — Illustrative example. No people shown.

The alert

The keyholder sees the clip first

Each alert names the camera and carries the clip, so the keyholder can see what triggered it before deciding whether to attend, call it in or dismiss it.

Real night-time infrared CCTV frame of a yard with smoke picked out by Woodcock AI — Real footage: smoke picked out on an existing night camera

FAQ

Out-of-hours security questions

Sources

General information, not legal or security advice. Follow your own risk assessments and your insurer's requirements.

Environment Agency, Fire prevention plans: environmental permits (GOV.UK), section 7.1 Arson. For permitted waste sites: you must have security measures in place, such as security fencing, intruder alarms and CCTV, and describe the location of CCTV and alarms. Last checked 23 October 2026.
GOV.UK, Fire safety in the workplace. The responsible person for business premises must carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment and put fire safety measures in place. Last checked 23 October 2026.
HSE, Lone working: protect those working alone. Employers must manage health and safety risks before people work alone; security staff are given as an example of lone working. Last checked 23 October 2026.
ICO, CCTV and video surveillance guidance. Data protection guidance for organisations using CCTV, with a CCTV self-assessment checklist. Last checked 23 October 2026.

Intrusion detectionZones, schedules and night yards AI CCTV vs security guardsHow they work together Hot works fire riskThe fire watch after work stops Reduce CCTV false alarmsFewer, better alerts

Out-of-hours site security checklist: lock up with confidence