Security is a major issue on construction sites.
Every week in the UK, £1 million worth of equipment is stolen from sites, with less than 10% of this recovered by police.
It’s not hard to see why it’s problematic for companies: money is wasted in replacing equipment, time is wasted as it takes longer to get the job done, and worker safety is jeopardised too.
However, there are ways you can combat this. Here are our five top tips to keep your site secure. Rest assured criminals won’t get in the way of you doing your job once you’ve implemented these tactics.
Keep areas lit
Installing lights on your construction site will help to deter criminals, as it will make them easier to spot when the lights are on, alerting passers-by.
Having the lights on also means that potential trespassers may believe workers are still on-site. This could stop many opportunists from trying their luck, helping to increase the security on your site.
Install cameras and alarms
If lights don’t catch criminals, cameras and alarms certainly will. By having CCTV surveying your site 24 hours a day, criminals will be clearly caught on camera. In fact, the lights installed will help, as trespassers will be easier to see, giving you a higher possible chance of catching them.
Alarms are great in keeping your site secure too. You have two options: a loud alarm will provide criminals with such a shock, they’ll likely be scared away before they can do any damage. Plus, the noise will alert anyone nearby, so there’s a high chance of someone calling the police.
The other option is a silent alarm. These are designed to contact the police directly without the intruders knowing, meaning they’re usually caught red-handed.
Invest in a virtual guard
Go one step further and up security on your site by investing in a virtual guard. They can be more effective than a physical guard, as a sweep of the site will only take a few seconds by glancing at the cameras. It’s much quicker than walking round the site, and it’s safer for the guard too.
By having a virtual guard, anyone caught trespassing can quickly be identified, and the police can be alerted, usually without the criminal knowing.
Store valuables in shipping containers
Robberies on construction sites usually result in stolen materials and equipment. Therefore, when all workers are away from the site, you’ll want to ensure your valuables are locked up, secure and out-of-sight.
Shipping containers can be a great solution to keep items safe. As they’ve been built for transporting goods overseas, they’re extremely tough and durable, as they’ve had to withstand incredibly bad conditions.
By storing valuables in a shipping container, you can ensure they’re hidden from criminals. It’s highly unlikely anyone will try to break into a container for two reasons: firstly, because it would be virtually impossible to do so; and secondly, because criminals won’t know for sure if there’s anything inside the container worth stealing.
Keep intruders out
Something as simple as building a fence around the perimeter of your site will help to deter criminals, and keep your site secure.
Electric fences will act as more of a deterrent, although standard fences will suffice too. Whilst an electric fence is non-lethal, anyone who touches it will get an electric shot, making scaling the fence impossible. Plus, if anyone tries to cut a wire, a silent alarm will be triggered, sending an alert that someone is trying to intrude.
Even a standard fence will act as a barrier for many criminals. Scaling a fence takes time, and during that time the alarm could go off, the lights could turn on, and they’ll be caught on CCTV.
These 5 tips will help to increase the security on your site, meaning your valuables and staff are safe, and you can continue to do your job without any interruptions.
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