Preventing Construction Site Theft

Construction site theft, vandalism, and arson has become a huge problem in the UK – its estimated it costs the industry £800 million every year. Construction sites are often seen as vulnerable and easy targets by criminals and necessitate the use of comprehensive security measures to properly protect them.

In this article we’ll examine options for construction site security and how to effectively protect a construction site.

The Basic Measures – Fences and Signs

A standard part of construction site security will always be fences and signposting.

On their own, fences and warning signs are unlikely to prevent determined thieves or vandals from entering a site, but they are still an important part of limiting points of entry and making clear that a property is guarded and is private property and that trespass will be punished. Fencing and signs can help reduce the load on other security measures, and when combined with CCTV, Security Guards, and other methods, can help to create a truly comprehensive security approach.

CCTV – A Comprehensive Approach

CCTV is a modern way to keep construction sites safe, and by far the most reliable.

CCTV systems – whether CCTV Towers (literally CCTV mounted on a tower structure) or traditional wired CCTV – are a major deterrent to many potential criminals, intruders, vandals, and arsonists. This is because they understand if they’re caught on camera, the chances of being caught and prosecuted increase significantly. Video footage is a serious worry for any criminal – and furthermore, in the worst-case scenario a crime does occur, the footage can be used by the authorities to track down the criminals.

This means in many cases CCTV can prevent a crime from happening in the first place – which makes it by far one of the most effective choices for security. But furthermore, CCTV can be made even more comprehensive by combining it with other security options. This includes remote monitoring; CCTV footage can be watched round the clock by a team of experts. If the monitoring team spot anyone through the camera footage, they can alert you, the authorities, or security guards. As a result, any problems that the cameras detect are quickly responded to.

CCTV systems now have options for automated detection as well, not to mention integration with alarm systems. CCTV Towers even have options for remote voice alerts, lighting (to illuminate intruders), and even video tracking – to ensure criminals do not escape detection. Modern CCTV systems are furthermore designed to fit perfectly into the rugged environment of a construction site, with solar panels and independent power sources meaning they aren’t reliant on the infrastructure of the site they are protecting.

Alarms – Simple and Reliable

Another option for security are alarms. Alarm systems are often enough to dissuade potential intruders – as they know an alarm being triggered will result in the police and any manned guarding services being alerted.

Secure Equipment and Materials

Construction equipment and material is extremely vulnerable to theft if it is left lying around the site and is not properly secured in lockers or storage containers. Vandalism is a similar issue – equipment that can easily be reached and damaged is very appealing to would-be vandals.

Thieves are far more attracted to targets if they are easy to grab and remove – equipment secured in storage units are difficult to access and this is often enough to dissuade thieves. Vandals are often the same and are not interested in difficult targets. This makes it incredibly important for you to properly secure all equipment. Damaged or stolen equipment can cause incredible problems for a construction project.

Failure to properly secure equipment has other issues as well; it can result in your insurance premiums increasing, especially if equipment is stolen or damaged because of a failure to properly secure it.

Security Guards – A traditional and effective option

Security guards are what many people think of when they think ‘security’. Also called manned guarding services, security guards are an important part of building site security and one of the most effective approaches for keeping your property safe from intruders – whether they are thieves, vandals, or arsonists.

Security guards are effective partly because intruders are not looking for a confrontation most of the time – they are looking for an empty and vulnerable target which they can easily access without being caught or detected. Often this means the physical presence of security guards is enough to dissuade thieves or vandals from attempting to enter a property in the first. If any problems are detected on site, the guards can offer an immediate, in-person response. Furthermore, this saves you the trouble of having to potentially confront a difficult situation yourself or for your employees to have to do the same.

Security guards work fantastically when paired with CCTV. A CCTV system can alert security guards to an issue and allow them to respond incredibly quickly – especially if the security guards are mounted in marked vehicles as part of a mobile patrol service.