According to a survey of 1,000 UK workers, commissioned by key safe specialist, Master lock, businesses are leaving themselves open to crime and loss in production time by placing the responsibility for security on their employees.The research exposed the 27,000 businesses which are at risk of workplace burglary as a consequence of misplaced keys and security procedures - contributing to raised commercial insurance premiums and potentially jeopardising operation time significantly.

Even more worryingly, a further 32.8 per cent admitted that colleagues have been forced to spend more than one hour locked out of their place of work due to misplaced keys or security access cards in the last three years.

The findings highlighted that employees place a very low value on work keys and access cards, with 38.3 per cent of workers including, and even more surprisingly, business owners claiming they held little value or personal responsibility for safeguarding them. In contrast, almost 73 per cent of employees rated their company mobile phone and laptop as items they would take extra care and personal responsibility for.

This poor employee attitude to security responsibilities and the significant impact they have on the UK's potential economy has led Master Lock to urge organisations to take action to protect their businesses.

Andy Culhane, sales director of Master Lock UK stated: "The research confirms something which we have feared for a number of years. In an effort to find a balance between convenience and access management, basic security has been over looked. With employees being given keys to company premises so readily it's no wonder they hold little responsibility for their safe keeping.

"Being locked out of your workplace is a frustration many I suspect could do without, especially when you consider the loss in production and the cost for gaining access through lock smith fees, but the more dangerous consequence is the fact that poor security management appear to be increasing the risk of burglary."

Therefore, the question businesses and its owners or managers should be asking themselves is; who should your company's safeguarding and security be placed in the hands of?

Going some way to answer this vital security question, the research identified the main offenders as those at the extremes of the professional spectrum; employees aged from 18 to 24 and 55 to 64 years old. Whilst both the sexes demonstrated poor levels of personal responsibility for maintaining company security procedures, men were highlighted as slightly less than trustworthy in the key holder stakes.

Culhane adds: "Although in limited numbers, companies are starting to show signs to improve access control measures by considering charging employees who misplace keys, we strongly believe this doesn't go far enough, and instead we are asking companies to take stock of their workplace security policies."

Offering advice, Master Lock has launched its five tips to improving workplace security, these include:

1. Highlight the value of workplace keys and access passes to employees

2.Consider charging employees for misplaced keys or access passes

3. Entrust only a select number of employees with total access

4. Have a rota for opening the workplace to ensure direct responsibility is placed on the selected employee

5. Instead of relying on key holders, use a secure external onsite location to house a spare key, such as a Key Safe

The survey marks the launch of Master Lock's new range of reinforced Select Access^TM key safes, which offer practical and convenient solutions to spare key management and includes the UK's first electronic Key Safe with a Sold Secure Key Cabinet Silver rating.

For more information on Master Lock's Select Access?range of key safes visit www.masterlock.eu