Creating a thorough construction site antitheft plan before the start of construction will reduce the possibility of thefts.

There are several factors contributing to equipment theft including:

• High heavy equipment value
• Ease of selling stolen equipment
• Low risk for detection and arrest
• Employee colaboration
• Lenient penalties
• No standard for universal product identification number for construction vehicles

As such stolen construction equipment is not readily reported to insurance companies and the recovery rate for stolen equipment is approximately 15% compared to 60% for motor vehicles.

Additional best practices include:

• Proper lightning

The easiest, least expensive, and most effective security measure is proper lighting as poorly lit construction attract crime and lights are a deterrent when no one is watching.

Proper lighting means more than brightness and color (temperature) and hue can impact the security level of the light. Work with a security lighting expert who can evaluate your construction site and make lighting security recommendations to both maximize security and minimize expenditure.

• Creating designated construction equipment parking spaces where smaller equipment is surrounded by larger equipment.
• Posted warning signs, security fencing and surveillance security system both for the construction site and access roads
• Assign serial numbers to tools with indelible marking
• Install a Fence with Single-Point entry

A single entry point gives you more control and ability to log people and vehicles entering and leaving

• Both inscribe identifiable information and use a GPS tracker for large items beginning with the most business-critical and expensive assets

• Maintain an Asset Management System to simplify and automate knowing what needs repairing or servicing.

This is will help reduce the time workers need to find and more equipment, increase the time the equipment is fully functional and reduce the time to locate and transport a replacement. An asset management system will reduce the risk of injuries and lost billable time that comes from working with poorly maintained assets.

• Implement Remote Video Surveillance

All construction site security systems must be proactive in order to deter theft. Video surveillance security is a powerful proactive security system which includes remote monitoring and video analytics.

Video analytics reduces the operator workload and allows the best of both worlds by combining humans with technology. This allows monitoring personel to remotely catch potential problems before anything happens.

The remote operators can help spot intruders approaching the construction site and take action by using on an on-site speaker system. Should the on-site speaker system not stop the intruders, the remote operator will contact and work with law enforcement while tracking the intruders’.

In fact the visibility of the cameras alone can deter many intruders when paired with post signs indicating the area is under surveillance. As such remote video surveillance is one of the most cost-effective crime deterrents and typically pays for itself in four to six months.

Contact us to learn more about commercial site security.

To learn more about security to help prevent construction theft, download the construction security and safety best practices guide. This guide discusses industry challenges and solutions.