The construction industry suffers serious from theft. Alongside arson and vandalism, it is estimated theft costs the industry over £800 million every year. Not only does theft see the loss of important materials used in construction, but it also delays work and creates the potential for accidents. Theft can ultimately seriously damage morale and cause major issues for a project in the long term, and as a result must be taken seriously.

In this article we’ll discuss the best ways you can protect your construction site from theft.

Why are Construction Sites so vulnerable to theft?

The construction industry suffers serious from issues with theft (not to mention vandalism, and arson). There are good reasons for this.

Firstly, construction sites are very appealing targets. They are often very large, and as a result hard to completely fence off or secure. Often thieves can enter via adjourning buildings or find gaps in fencing and barriers, allowing them to easily access the property. Secondly, the large scale of a construction site means there is often a great deal of cover and so they can often avoid detection from passers-by. Without the proper protection methods in place, a construction site is seen by most criminals as an easy target.

Construction sites which are successfully targeted can be expected to be stolen from again as well, with repeated break-ins being a major problem. Thieves are not interested in difficult or challenging targets and having found a reliable source of money, will consistently target it if they feel it is safe to do so.

Keeping a Site Safe – the Best Approaches

There are a variety of approaches you can take to securing a construction site. Often the best approach is a comprehensive mix to guarantee security.

Securing Tools and Materials

Thieves are not interested in a challenge and are primarily looking for easy targets. Unattended to handheld equipment and tools, unsecured metals (copper and aluminium), and other materials (especially wires, cables, and electrics), and fuel (siphoned from vehicles and equipment). Not only is the loss of material and equipment expensive, but it delays work. In the case of fuel siphoning, it can end up causing serious damage to the vehicle or equipment.

As a result, it is important to secure any materials and equipment inside of buildings or in dedicated storage lockers. Criminals and thieves rarely will look for ‘hard’ targets and usually aim to grab anything they can as quickly as they can. If they see that your construction site has many unattended materials or tools, they’re more than likely going to attempt to take it. 

Furthermore, if your equipment is stolen and it is found that it was not secured, there is a strong chance you will be unable to make claims.

CCTV

CCTV is one of the best approaches to the protection of a construction site, and is widely considered one of the most

Thieves understand being caught on camera significantly increases their chances of being caught and prosecuted. Because of this, they often avoid sites with CCTV systems.

CCTV systems help in the worst-case scenarios where crimes do occur, as the video footage they provide is helpful in ensuring that the criminals are caught and prosecuted. CCTV systems can also be integrated with manned guarding services to ensure there is a quick response to any intruders. Construction site CCTV systems can be monitored remotely by a dedicated team, which ensures that if any suspicious behaviour is picked up, the police can be alerted.

Many insurance companies will reduce premiums if CCTV systems are present.

Modern Rapid Deployment CCTV Systems are versatile too and can be quickly moved around a site as necessary.

Alarms

Alarm systems are another great way to protect a construction site.

Like with CCTV, the presence of alarms is often enough to deter thieves. Knowing that if the alarm is tripped that they are likely to be dealing with police or manned guarding services, thieves will often avoid alarmed properties – knowing the potential to be caught and prosecuted is raised significantly by the presence of alarms.

Alarm systems integrated with CCTV and manned guarding services and mobile patrols offer a superb, comprehensive protection for a construction site.

Manned Guarding Services

Manned Guarding Services (Security guard services are what many people will think of when they talk about security. Manned guarding services involve on-site security staff patrolling the grounds and investigating any disturbances. Often the presence of manned guarding services is enough to deter criminals – who have no interest in confrontation. In the case a crime does occur, having manned guarding services on the premises can be invaluable as they can respond quickly to any intrusion. When combined with CCTV or alarm systems, manned guarding services are one of the most flexible and effective ways to protect property.