Construction site theft is on the rise…..what is the solution?

There is a rise in the ever-growing problem of construction industry theft which results in excess of £800 million losses every year.

Not only do site management and construction companies have to deal with the disruption and loss of equipment that, undoubtedly has the knock-on effect of messing up deadlines for completion of projects underway but, the added worry should a member of public or site staff been hurt or injured by stolen plant machinery

It is therefore imperative that all sites have plans and procedures in place to combat this growing trend. Our suggestion would be to have a mix of manned and technological measures in operation outlined below:

CCTV – is the most obvious choice, depending on resource available, this can be monitored onsite or remotely and linked to police call outs. There are also options to add PA systems to alert intruders that police have been called.  If you do operate a CCTV process you must ensure that notices are placed prominently as an evidence taken without consent would be null and void in the court of law.

Surveillance and Digital Technology – Often theft can take place during the working day and you might suspect employees are being dishonest. Utilising the resources of an external private investigator you could implement hidden cameras to detect such matters. Some cameras can be monitored through mobile phones by simply downloading an App allowing 24/7 monitoring to the site. Cloud based software can help track tools that are being used and in most cases in what location.

Alarms and Lighting – Remote controlled alarms are recommended and can also be police linked. You could consider a silent alarm that alerts the authorities and hopefully catches the thieves red handed. Sensor lighting that works when movement is detected is often a great deterrent and can also assist and alert night security personnel.

Security measures – site staff are encouraged to remove tools from site, add padlocks to vans or park with the doors against the wall. If items are too big it is suggested to mark each with indelible ink or an identification mark can help recovery, especially if this is listed on a police-approved national tool register.

If you wish to discuss your construction site security and surveillance options, talk with the Proactive team today.