Monthly and quarterly checks to make sure security cameras record when you need them.
Cameras often fail quietly: a lens gets dirty, a hard drive fills up, a clock drifts. You only find out when you need footage. A routine check prevents that.
Recording people has legal limits and notice requirements in many places. Check the rules that apply to you.
12 items. Complete it digitally or on paper, whichever your team prefers.
During a monthly check, a store manager finds that the camera over the back door shows a black image at night and the clock is 20 minutes slow. The installer replaces the infrared unit, and the clock is synced to network time.
Footage is only useful to police or an insurer if the timestamp is right and the clip can be exported cleanly. Once a legal claim is reasonably expected, relevant footage may need to be preserved before the system records over it.
| Live images | 12 of 12; cam 7 blocked by holiday display |
|---|---|
| Night image | Cam 3 lot glare from new pole light |
| Recording | All channels; retention 31 days |
| Clock | Synced, no drift |
| Lens cleaning | Quarterly, done Oct 3 |
| Test export | Cam 1, Oct 2, 2:00 to 2:05 pm, plays |
| Logins | 3 users; former manager account deleted |
Northside Hardware in Milwaukee fixed camera 7 by moving the display, not the camera, so the recorded view stays the same. The test export lists the exact clip so anyone can repeat it.
Set a period in your policy and check local rules.
Authorized people only.
Many places require notice. Check.
Leave hardware to qualified installers.
Infrared light reflecting off a dirty dome, a spider web or a nearby wall is the most common cause. A new light fixture shining into the lens can also blind it. Clean the dome, check for new glare sources, and if one area stays dark, the infrared lights may have failed.
Federal wiretap law and many state laws restrict recording conversations without consent, and some states require consent from everyone in the conversation. For that reason many businesses turn audio off entirely. Get legal advice before enabling it, especially in break rooms or offices.
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Once the CCTV maintenance checklist is in place, the next question is usually about shifts and hours. Book a demo to see how EZTime handles scheduling and time tracking.