A 2016 survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Building found that 92% of respondents had been affected by theft. Perhaps rather more shocking was the fact that 21% stated they are affected by theft on a weekly basis.
Why Does Theft Happen So Regularly?
Whilst each building site will be managed slightly differently, it speaks volumes that 90% of those surveyed said they were aware that health and safety measures were being neglected on their site.
Investing in appropriate security measures costs money, that’s a given, but these costs outweigh the inconvenience, time and money wasted through vandalism and theft. In fact, it is estimated that the construction industry suffers a loss of over £400 million a year due to vandalism and theft, not taking into account any petty crimes that go unreported.
Boosting Security On-site
Unfortunately, machinery and equipment are notoriously difficult to get back once it has been stolen. Ceasar, the official construction and agricultural equipment registration scheme, approved by the police, and the Home Office state that the recovery rate for plant that has not been registered is as low as 5%. On the contrary, the recovery rate for plant that is registered is near close to 30% (statistics from 2009).
As well as registering all plant vehicles, regular risk assessments should be carried out by trained assessors, helping to identify potential security threats and what can be done to minimise these issues. Everyone on site should be made aware of the safety measures put in place to ensure all team members are compliant.
Whilst locking away valuable items out of sight seems like an obvious thing to do, not every construction site follows such simple measures. Other measures you can take are;
- Restricting the number of vehicles on site
- Using only one entrance and exit to the site to help monitor those coming in and out
- Using a perimeter fence to prevent the site from being visible to others
Some of the best deterrents are those that are visible, such as CCTV, bright lighting and mobile patrols. Unlike relying on technology, regular mobile patrols are real people that are fully trained to visit your site and ensure everything is in order. The patrols can come as regularly as you require them to and will check all areas specified the report back to you once the inspection has been completed.
Umbrella Security Services
If you are looking for effective security measures to heighten the security of your construction site, please get in touch with us today by calling 0121 554 2761. Alternatively, you can send your enquiry through to our online contact form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.