What is CCTV Maintenance?
Closed-circuit television or CCTV maintenance is a preventive measure to ensure that surveillance equipment is operational. It is performed by security and facility teams to pre-identify defects and damages to avoid substandard performance and expensive damage costs.
Why Perform CCTV Maintenance?
CCTVs help keep businesses’ property and employees safe and secure, but they require regular maintenance to be effective. CCTV maintenance is performed to achieve three core objectives:
- Ensure surveillance equipment works: physical and visual checks are performed to identify operational defects. Early detection saves both time and money.
- Blind spots are identified: system setups should change as focus areas change. Regular checks can help identify blind spots and points of risk for building security.
- Accurate recordkeeping: serves as a record to support insurance claims in the event of incident and damage.
Using CCTV Maintenance Checklists and Logbooks
CCTV camera maintenance inspections are performed anywhere between daily and monthly, depending on specific security requirements.
CCTV maintenance checklists and logbooks are tools used to instruct and document these inspections. A CCTV maintenance checklist generally captures the following:
- Visual and physical condition of the camera, wiring, and control equipment;
- Any physical defects found;
- Assessment of focus areas and blind spots; and
- Signature, date, and time of inspection to verify maintenance checks
FAQs About CCTV Maintenance
Yes, CCTV cameras do require regular maintenance. Since they are prone to failure if not checked in a timely and proper manner, it is ideal to perform proactive maintenance to prevent errors that can cause further issues.
It is commonly recommended that CCTV cameras be checked at least once a year, although the frequency of maintenance activities may depend on the quality and age of the CCTV system. Further, CCTV owners are advised to consult with professionals to learn how to perform routine monthly checks themselves, which can help identify potential defects early on and reduce the risk of expensive repairs or replacements.
Sample questions to ask when conducting CCTV maintenance:
- Is the camera focused and adjusted properly?
- Is the property perimeter clearly displayed?
- Are the motion detection sensors working?
- Are wirings free from any wear and tear or exposed wires?
- Is the transmission of sound clear and the picture with no distortion?
- Are all of your switches and individual equipment fully functioning?
- Any other physical defects found?
Owners can utilize a customized CCTV maintenance checklist to assist with their monthly checks and improve the lifespan of their CCTV units.
