A recent review by leading insurer Allianz Cornhill has revealed that over £70 million of construction plant has been stolen from sites over the past year. This is in spite of initiatives by the Government to encourage plant manufacturers to improve in-built security features.
When you take additional expenses like plant replacement costs, hire of replacement equipment, loss of business, and increased insurance premiums into account, the UK construction industry is now losing over £800 million a year.
So, how can you protect your construction site from theft and avoid severe losses? Here are some ideas from Access Facilities Management.
Hire site security
Perhaps the most effective way to safeguard construction plant is to hire site security in the form of manned guarding or mobile patrols. This can either be a round-the-clock solution or during at-risk periods, typically the early hours.
With a human presence watching over the site, you can rest assured that any criminals will be instantly deterred from stealing your prized plant assets. Even if they do attempt a robbery, security personnel will know how to deal with the offenders.
Install CCTV
A similar but ultimately cheaper option is to install CCTV. This is another great way to discourage thieves from stealing construction plant, as it will undoubtedly catch them red-handed and can lead to easy identification as well as the recovery of goods.
The biggest thing you will have to consider is whether you want your CCTV to be monitored. From a remote location, a trained camera operator can oversee your site, identify suspicious activity or instances of theft, and act immediately by contacting the authorities.
Illuminate your site
Often overlooked but incredibly cost-effective, illuminating your site has proved a simple yet successful option for several locations. As you would expect, criminals will think twice about stealing construction plant if their actions can be easily observed.
Although motion activated lights can save you money and are more efficient, there is still the possibility that thieves will try their luck. They may even avoid detection altogether and manage to make an escape.
Erect a fence
Once again, this is viewed as a rather rudimentary security solution. But with this first line of defence, you could deter several potential burglaries and make it harder for plant to be moved off-site.
Although a lot will depend on your site’s location and equipment, possible options include metal fences, wooden boards, and barbed wire. Make sure it is constructed to a high standard too, as several criminals will come prepared with tools to break-in quickly and easily.
Put up signs
With construction site security, it makes sense to cover all bases, even if they seem small or insignificant. For example, a simple sign might not seem like much of a deterrent, but plenty of criminals will think twice about stealing if there’s a chance they’ll be apprehended.
So, place some signs around the border of your construction site with firm but fair warnings about what could happen to trespassers.
