You may
have noticed that your television at home is a magnet for dust.
It's the same for your CCTV monitors, VCRs and cameras; have they been
cleaned recently?
Are the
pictures clear and in focus, or are they fuzzy and it's like looking
through a snow storm?
Have you
checked that the video is replaying properly?
Replay the tape for a few minutes each day to prove that it is working
properly.
Are the
cameras still looking at what you wanted them to look at?
Has the
reason for having the system changed?
Do the views from the cameras need to change, or do the cameras need to be
moved to reflect these changes?
Would you
like to be able to identify people entering your property?
To do this properly the image of the person should occupy the monitor from
the top of their head to just below the knee.
When did
you last change the tape?
In accordance with the Data Protection Act Good Practice Guide tapes
should be used 12 times only.
When did
you last check all the cameras were working?
Many modern systems can automatically bypass blank images, would you
notice if a camera was not being displayed?
Many CCTV
systems use intruder detectors to automatically display images from
cameras.
Are your detectors operating properly?
Do you
expect your CCTV system to work at night?
If your system has lighting, is it functioning?
Also
in this Section
Ensuring
you have a CCTV system that works
Perhaps not surprisingly, Halon Bank has found that CCTV systems
that don't have a maintenance contract fail much more often that
those that do have regular maintenance.