One of the biggest problems supervisors encounter on construction sites is the theft of equipment and materials. It is a huge challenge that accounts for about $1 billion in losses per year. At times, money is lost by having to pay the crew “show up” pay if they can’t stay and work due to the break-in, and sometimes companies are also forced to rent equipment in the interim while waiting for new equipment to be purchased and delivered because due to the theft.
To prevent your site from becoming a costly statistic, here are some tips to boost your construction site security:
For the sake of your construction site security, make sure you are keeping things that are highly targeted by thieves secure. Aside from equipment, thieves mostly target valuable material like copper, and know that many construction jobs have copper on site. You can utilize a secure area for these items to keep thieves at bay. You can also keep the target materials in sheds or storage trailers under lock and key.
At the end of every day, make sure you store your equipment and building materials in a secure place and away from the perimeter fencing. That way, thieves cannot access them from outside. Also, employees can’t easily slip them through the fence and take them home either.
Theft of construction materials is considered a low-risk, high-returns opportunity for most thieves. Make sure you have removed equipment that you are not using from the site. You can take it back to the main yard. If you have large equipment that can’t be moved, make sure any keys are removed. Also, consider anchoring them with cables and chains.
Installing surveillance systems – cameras and motion sensors- on site can go a long way to protect your construction site from vandalism, theft, or any other unwanted activities.
When choosing your motion sensors or cameras for your construction site security, here are some of the things you need to consider:
· Most construction sites have limited access to electricity. But, the good thing about cameras is – they can run on batteries or solar. That gives you the freedom you need to place them wherever you want on the construction site without having to worry about the source of power.
· Motion sensors, on the other hand, are low-cost and use less power than the security cameras. They are good at detecting motion. When they detect movement within the site, the light will turn on. It could be an indication that there is a theft in progress. That way, it will draw more attention to the construction job site
To avoid downtime, you need to keep a proper inventory. That way, you’ll know what you need, what is already used up, and what needs to be delivered. Keeping inventory also helps boost your construction site security endeavors.
It helps ensure that you are not purchasing more than you need or keeping excess supplies sitting around waiting to be stolen.
Thieves love dark areas to sneak through unnoticed. Make sure there is sufficient lighting around your job site and store large items out in the open.
If you’ve had trouble with theft on the job site, you know what a hassle it can be to work through. Sometimes the same job site can be targeted over and over again throughout the duration of a project. You need a better way to keep your job site secure. We have a state-of-the-art mobile security system that’s easy to use and is solar powered-so no need to worry about a dedicated power source or mandatory phone line. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you keep your job site secure at an affordable price.