How to Plan Security Cameras for a Warehouse

Planning cameras for a warehouse is a matter of following the flow of goods. Goods arrive at the dock, move through receiving, sit in the aisles, are picked and packed, and leave through the dock again. Cameras should follow that flow, covering each stage and the places in between.

Walk the Flow of Goods

Start by walking the route goods take through the warehouse: the dock where trucks arrive, the receiving area where goods are checked, the aisles where they are stored, the picking and packing areas, and the dock where they leave. Each stage is an area that needs coverage, and the walk shows how many cameras each stage needs.

While walking, note the things that affect camera placement: ceiling height, racking height, forklift routes, bright dock doorways, and the areas that are hard to see from any single point. Those notes become the coverage list, and the coverage list becomes the camera plan.

Docks First

The loading dock is the most important area in a warehouse camera plan, because it is where goods change hands. Each dock door should have a camera that sees the trailer, the goods and the people handling them. A wide camera covers the dock as a whole, and a closer camera covers each door.

Dock cameras should be checked for glare. A camera aimed into a bright doorway will show the inside as a silhouette, which is useless. The camera should be placed and set so that it sees the dock clearly in daylight and at night, when the dock may be lit differently.

Aisles and Inventory

Long aisles need cameras along their length, not just at the ends. A camera at the end of an aisle can see down it, but it cannot see the middle with usable detail, and tall racking blocks the view across aisles. Place cameras at intervals along each aisle, and check the view from each one.

Inventory areas need cameras that see the goods being handled, not just the room. A camera mounted high in a corner may show the aisle but not the shelving. The camera should be placed so that it sees the activity it is meant to record.

Network and Storage

A warehouse camera system has many cameras, and the network has to carry them all. Cameras are usually given their own network segment, with switches sized for the camera count and cable runs kept within their limits. Long runs across a large building may need intermediate switches or fibre links.

Storage is calculated from the camera count, resolution and retention period. A warehouse that records many cameras around the clock needs a great deal of storage, and motion-based recording can stretch it further in areas that are quiet for part of the day. The calculation should be written down during design.

Testing Before Handover

Before handover, the system should be tested as it will be used: during a busy shift, with forklifts moving and goods being handled, and at night, when the lighting changes. Each camera should be checked for its view, its recording and its remote access. A camera that was never checked at night may be useless after dark.

The handover includes a walkthrough of the system with the warehouse team, showing how to find footage, export a clip, and check that the system is running. A system that the team knows how to use is a system that will be used.

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