A lot of time, energy, sweat, and money is put into a construction site. Construction theft can prove costly on many different levels, so the stronger your construction site security plan is, the better off your construction site will be.
What is a Construction Site Security Plan?
Theft and vandalism result in major costs and inconvenience for construction companies.
A construction site security plan is a calculated, concerted effort to reduce the cost of stolen or damaged materials and machinery.
Why Do You Need Construction Site Security?
In spite of increased technology, construction site theft, loitering, and vandalism continue to grow. Construction companies estimate that stolen and damaged machinery and equipment costs American companies a billion dollars annually.
Construction Site Security Issues
Sites face both external and internal threats. Tools, machinery, and construction materials are costly. Because of this, they are tempting for thieves and vandals. Employee theft is also on the rise.
Those who loiter or trespass on construction sites during and after work hours can cost construction companies time and money. They pose a risk of theft and liability.
How Can You Reduce Construction Loss?
There are a few simple actions you can take to improve your site's security.
Hire a Specialist
Hiring a company that specializes in creating a construction site security plan is a wise and effective way to cut losses.
There are also measures each company can take to reduce costs and inconvenience of theft and vandalism.
Companies like Twenty20 Solutions provide security and automated solutions such as security and surveillance, monitoring, and remote access.
Secure Property
Many times, theft on construction sites occurs because costly tools and machinery are easy for thieves to get their hands on. Despite best efforts, construction workers don’t always secure tools and lock machinery at the end of the workday. Left in plain sight, these materials, tools, and machines are an open invitation to would-be criminals.
Lobby for a National Registration Database
While organizations like the Department of Motor Vehicles have a national registry for vehicles, the construction industry does not.
A national registration database would automatically register construction machines when they are purchased. Presently, when police try to identify owners of stolen equipment, there is no common ownership database to pull from, making location and identification much more difficult.
Use Technology
A surprising number of construction companies aren’t using technology to keep tabs on their site. Webcams are now inexpensive to install and easy to use.
Today, many security cameras use batteries or solar power. These are a good choice for construction sites, as these sites often don’t have easy access to electric power. These cameras are also easy to move from one location to another on your site as needed. At the conclusion of a project, they can be picked up and transferred to a new construction site.
Many newer security cameras are Wi-Fi equipped and text alerts. With your smartphone or tablet, you can view activity on your job sites. With this real-time surveillance, you can alert authorities of an intruder from off-site.
Motion sensors are another effective and low cost solution. They can detect movement and turn on lights. Placed along the perimeter of your construction site, near machinery, and construction trailers, motion sensors offer cost-effective deterrents to thieves.
A more sophisticated perimeter monitor solution, geofencing, creates a digital perimeter of your job site. If machinery travels outside this area, you can shut it down to prevent it from leaving.
Capitalize on Savings
Insurance companies often offer incentives for companies that have installed security systems. These systems pose a deterrent to would-be intruders while saving you more than they cost.
If a break-in occurs, security footage provides police with clues about the intruders. In a court case, this evidence can go a long way toward getting a conviction.
Invest in Lighting
Making sure your construction site is well-lit is easy and relatively inexpensive and will go a long way in keeping it secure.
Criminals do not want to be seen. They will shy away from construction sites that are well illuminated. They will look for a site where they are less visible. Make sure your site has good lighting in every area.
A good construction site security company will help you build effective lighting into your security plan.
Tell the World
Post “no trespassing" signs. Make them large and easy to read. Illuminate their position so they are visible at night.
Do not make your security measures a secret. Announce to the world in bold, easy-to-read signs that your construction site has round-the-clock security technology. The signs alone will often deter thieves. They are looking for easy prey. They don’t want to take a chance on technology that alerts police and provides video proof of their committing a crime.
Make cameras and motion sensors easy to see. Their presence will offer incentives for thieves and vandals to stay away.
Invest in Fencing
Install secure, eight-foot-high fencing. Lock the gates at night. Your aim is to make it tough for thieves to get in and to get out.
Monitor who goes into and out of your site 24/7. Not all thefts are outside jobs. If employees know the traffic is being monitored, they will be far less likely to steal from the company.
Time Your Deliveries
When building materials are left on your site, employee and outside thefts increase. Time your deliveries so you have the materials on hand when you need them but not before. Ideally, materials arrive the day you are going to install them.
Run a Tidy Site
Make sure tools and machinery are secured at the end of the day. Itemize them to make sure they are all there. Lock up the tool cases. Secure all large machines by removing keys and placing them in a safe. If you don’t have a machinery barn, consider using cables or chains to anchor them in place.
Don’t leave construction materials lying around. This is easier to do if you have a building or a fenced-in area for them. Try to have on hand only the supplies you will need for a single workday.
An organized job site prevents theft, helps you manage inventory, and provides greater workplace safety for your employees and suppliers.
Use GPS Tracking
GPS tracking lets you track where your machinery is. This technology allows you to monitor your machinery and its location. Information can be sent to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
You will know immediately if a piece of equipment is being used when it shouldn’t be, and where it is.
Keep Accurate Inventory
Document your materials and equipment. Keep this spreadsheet up to date. Include photos and serial numbers for machinery and tools. With these identifying details, making a claim to the police and your insurance company is much easier. The chance of getting machinery, tools, and materials back is greatly improved by keeping accurate records.
How Can Twenty 20 Solutions Help?
Thanks to modern technology, companies that provide construction safety can help your company devise a plan to cut theft and vandalism on your construction site.
Twenty20 Solutions provides security and automated solutions such as security, surveillance, monitoring, and remote access. Working with construction companies around the world, we are a leading provider of automation and security technology, optimized through artificial intelligence. Our knowledgeable technicians will assist you in using smart surveillance, as well as deliver data-driven insights and reporting. We can help you set up reliable surveillance for multiple sites, using innovative video analytics technologies. Our software enables object detection, facial recognition, license plate recognition, cargo tracking, thermal radar detection, and more.
For more information about how we can help increase security in your construction site, contact us today.