Keep your tenants and your property safe and sound.

With the holiday season in full swing, it is important to keep your employees, your tenants and your property safe and sound so everyone can fully enjoy this festive season. So, spread good cheer by sharing this safety and security list from ABM Industries:

* Amidst this time of heightened security, it is critical to pay particular attention to suspicious persons and/ or unattended packages--especially in building lobbies and common corridors. Trained security personnel will need to be at high alert and any unusual occurrences should be reported to the authorities immediately.

* With identity theft on the rise, individuals and businesses alike should take every precaution to avoid unnecessary sharing of personal identification including social security numbers or corporate tax identification numbers. Any documents containing confidential information such as employee pay records should be stored in a secure manner to prevent unauthorized access.

* Mail processing functions must be viewed from a security perspective as to what it really is: a means of access into your facility. Therefore, mail processing procedures should be reviewed to ensure that a secure environment exists. Packages with vague addresses or without a complete return addresses should be monitored closely.

* For locations involved in retail operations or the storage of retail supplies, a security assessment should be conducted to ensure that merchandise is properly located, stored and secured to minimize shoplifting and employee theft.

* The holiday season brings with it numerous employee holiday parties which are often attended by individuals not normally granted access to a facility. Be aware of scheduled events taking place within your facility and safeguard tenants, employees and guests accordingly--make sure you have the required security needed to help ensure that all of your guests have an enjoyable time.

* Holiday parties often mean social gatherings and often include alcohol. Make sure that people know in advance what alternate transportation methods are available to them and provide front desk and/or security personnel with phone numbers to contact substitute transportation methods.

* The season of giving for many is the season of taking for others--most holiday crimes are simply crimes of opportunity. One of the easiest ways to avoid being the victim of a property related crime is to secure all valuables and in particular, never leave property unattended.

* More people are out and about during the holidays. Crowds are bigger and people get excited and flustered--make sure that your building security are properly trained and equipped to handle a crowd control or evacuation event.

Whether you are a building owner or manager of a commercial office building, a residential community or an industrial complex, keep the preceding "checklist" in mind to help ensure that the season is merry and bright.