Most people steer clear of construction sites because of the safety hazards they present, but this doesn’t hinder vandals or thieves. The construction industry sees considerable loss due to the theft of equipment and tools, but safeguarding these materials can be complex and costly.
Preventing Construction Site Theft
On the construction site, high-pressure deadlines dictate that the equipment and materials must be readily accessible when the workday starts. For most projects, that means maintaining storage onsite facilitating invasion and theft.
Experienced intruders easily break low-quality locks and chains for openly exposed materials with minimal likelihood for recovery due to most having no distinctive markers to set the items apart so authorities can make a positive identification.
What can you do if you constantly have materials stolen and have incredible losses from the problem? Here are a few solutions.
The storage
Even when working on a construction site, you can be at risk for theft because the site is constantly in motion with workers, random clients and customers, and deliveries navigating the job site all day. You can oversee the materials, but educating and informing employees to do the same is essential.
When everyone is off duty, major problems can arise at the end of the day. Moving the construction equipment into a secured area like a steel storage container can significantly reduce the chance of theft. This may be an investment, but the money you’ll save on buying equipment you lose will be worth it.
These can hold multiple heavy machines and quality tools and be secured for limited access. Intruders are less likely to bother the site when the tools and equipment are not fully exposed.
The registration
It’s not always required to register your construction equipment, but it’s for your protection and in your best interest to do so. You may also want to distinguish your materials from others in the industry with a unique symbol that coincides with your business logo or name or an individual model or serial number.
The identifier for each tool and equipment should be photographed with the item and stored in a computer file if the item is stolen. When you buy something new, it must be marked and inventoried before being put to work. Your recovery rate will increase considerably when you initiate and follow this system.
The job site
A construction site should not be readily accessible to anyone while it’s active during working hours. This makes you liable if an incident or accident occurs, resulting in injury or property damages. It’s vital to be aware of who’s coming and going at all times and to monitor all activity.
Technology makes it possible to screen anyone accessing the property and to know when they do so. You can also incorporate detailed databases to report which employee uses the varied equipment. You will know which staff member to hold accountable if there’s an incident.
Aside from investing in computer technology, security measures on the construction site should include adequate lighting, sound locks, motion sensors, and high-quality security cameras for optimum protection.
Visit https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/safeguarding-construction-projects-imperative-access-control-michael-qmhfe? to learn why leaders must gain control over the activities on their construction sites.
The employees
Thorough background checks are standard with new employees. You want to establish trust and credibility with individuals who will work with heavy machines and power tools and in hazardous situations with other staff to ensure they will do so safely.
Security personnel should adequately educate and inform the employees on construction risk management, with a fundamental component being recognizing onsite criminal activity.
From one job site to the next, there will be variables to consider, and trained security staff will address the variances with the programs so employees are adequately prepared in every situation.
Employees should be urged to report any incident, regardless of the item’s significance, to discourage continued intrusion. Thieves pay attention when police intervene.
They won’t know if you have specific details to help the authorities put together a case, and you want them to worry. Go here for guidance on securing construction job sites.
Final Thought
In order to keep a construction site fully protected, it’s essential to stay current with details related to theft in the industry, such as the type of equipment being stolen and the solutions being implemented. You should also pay attention to the areas deemed higher risk.
You can then consider steel storage containers to safeguard the tools and equipment more securely. You can contain multiple heavy machines and protect high-quality tools instead of having them openly exposed.
Construction site theft is challenging for everyone in the industry, and it’s not going away. The priority is to be proactive in your approach to stay one step ahead. Your negligence will be the intruder’s reward.