Construction site theft is more common than most people realize. In the last year alone, up to one billion dollars worth of material was stolen from construction sites. Only about 20% of stolen items are ever recovered, which can be a big financial hit for construction companies. Construction projects often take a significant amount of time and money. Losing expensive equipment and material to theft causes an increase in both.
In this article, we will go over the best practices to have and establish amongst your workers in order to protect your construction equipment and materials.
1. Store Equipment Securely
Although it’s more convenient to leave tools laying around for later use, holding yourself accountable for returning the tool to a holding place will go a long way in the overall protection of the equipment and will better ensure the item is there next time you need it.
2. Keep Records
Keep an up-to-date record of the equipment, its serial number, and how many pieces of it you have. Maintaining this list is can be valuable when filing a police report and makes it more challenging for the person stealing the equipment to resell it.
3. Watch your employees
Just because you trust everyone on your site, it doesn’t mean everyone should be trusted. Running a background check on crew members will go a long way when it comes to the safety and protection of your equipment.
4. Cut the fuel
This can be used on large equipment and vehicles. Install a fuel pump kill switch in your bigger machinery so it won’t start up if someone is trying to leave the job site with it.
5. Put up fencing
Putting up fencing around the perimeter of the construction site if possible is always a good idea. It acts as the first line of defense when thieves attempt to steal equipment and materials.
5. Install a security system
The installation of a security system that alerts a security company when something occurs in the site is the best bet for the most secure construction site. The only downside to having the security system is that they need to be activated before leaving the premises in order to properly secure the area. Security systems are also only good for alerting you after something happens as opposed to preventing it.
6. Use Video Surveillance
This is the best solution for the most secure construction site. This provides a visual of the construction site 24/7 and has a direct line to the police should the alarm be activated. It provides an equal if not better level of protection than an actual security guard at a much lower cost. Depending on your specific needs, we can create a custom security system to best fit your project or facility. One of our most popular products for securing construction sites is the TITAN Solar-powered mobile security camera trailer. It’s very easy to deploy and requires no power source. Ask about leasing one today.
If you have any questions about our video surveillance services in Houston, or if you’re ready to install a system on your property, reach out to us today. We look forward to hearing from you.
