Construction site theft is an industry-wide threat that isn’t going away. From power tools to building materials, heavy equipment, and copper, there are any number of valuable targets on a construction site for those inclined to steal. This makes actively preventing theft a necessary strategy for construction companies that cannot be ignored. The time and money invested in construction site theft prevention will help you save on building delays along with lost material costs in the future. The key to construction theft prevention is making it as hard as possible for thieves to enter your site and make off with your materials and equipment undetected. While there are any number of strategies you could employ, below are the seven most important ways to prevent construction site theft.
No. 1: Use deployable pole cameras for video surveillance
Using deployable pole cameras for video surveillance of your construction site is the most important step you can take to ensuring theft prevention. The VP400 is a camera system that can be mounted on a pole near your construction site to monitor all activity. It seamlessly integrates with an AXIS HD PTZ camera, up to three AXIS fixed cameras, as well as advanced video management software that allows you to view the footage through multiple devices. This pole camera system will allow you to monitor the entire area of your construction site through the 220-degree continuous field of view that automatically pans and zooms in on objects of interest. Even if your construction site is victimized, these deployable pole cameras would provide the footage authorities need to recover your items and punish those responsible for the theft.
No. 2: Install fencing around the lot with one locked entrance
Leaving your construction site exposed with multiple entry points is one of the biggest mistakes you could make in terms of theft prevention. Installing fencing around your site should be one of the first things you do upon arriving on a job. In addition to installing fencing, it’s also important to have only one point of entry–and that entrance point should be locked during off-hours. Each night, it’s critical to lock up your site to make it more difficult for criminals to penetrate the perimeter. Failing to fence in your lot and keep it locked on a nightly basis is an invitation to the criminal element you can’t afford to offer.
No. 3: Keep tools locked up after hours
In addition to locking up the gate and fencing each night, it’s also important to lock up all tools individually within your construction site. This would involve placing your tools in a storage container that is securely locked at the end of each workday. This also includes storing your larger tools or equipment inside a locked shed or trailer. These storage containers should be locked with bolts and chains that make it difficult for burglars to access. It’s also important that all tools are actually put away and stored. By leaving out a power tool at the end of the day by mistake–and failing to lock it up in a storage container–you are putting yourself at risk of theft. Locking up your tools each night will help ensure that they will be there when you return to work in the morning.
No. 4: Install an alarm system
An alarm system can be installed at your construction site to monitor points of entry. It could be installed at the gated entrance, as well as on your storage containers or sheds. This alarm system would trigger a message to the local police department as well as to the phone of your site manager and employees in the event of a break-in. The presence of an alarm–as well as the pole cameras–could also be enough to deter a would-be criminal from attempting to break into the site based on the fact that they know their actions would be quickly detected. Placing signs throughout the site indicating that the area is monitored by an alarm would further act as a deterrent as well.
No. 5: Take inventory each morning
Taking inventory of your construction site every morning would deter employee theft from occurring as well as providing an opportunity to recover your items that might be stolen in a timely manner. When employees or potential criminals see a site manager actively taking inventory of the construction site, that would help to deter a future theft because they’ll know the stolen items would soon be identified as missing. In the event you are the victim of a construction site theft, this process will also help you uncover that theft and give you a chance to recoup those items in a timely manner.
No. 6: Install GPS on heavy equipment
The most costly items that could be stolen from your construction site are likely your heavy equipment. While it would require a calculated effort to pull off a heavy equipment heist, it’s always a possibility. In order to minimize your risk of heavy equipment theft, installing GPS on your equipment will help you find it quickly in the event it’s stolen. With GPS installed, you can quickly alert the authorities as to where your equipment has been taken so that they can recover it for you as soon as possible.
No. 7: Register your equipment
Companies like the Heavy Equipment Registration and National Equipment Register will allow you to register your heavy equipment to help law enforcement in the event your equipment needs to be recovered following a construction site theft. If your equipment is registered, it becomes identifiable if it is sold or used on another site. This provides a record that can be traced to recover your stolen equipment.
Protect Your Construction Site Today with i2c Technologies
i2c Technologies has over a decade of experience preventing construction site theft and providing industry-leading video surveillance solutions like the VP400 deployable cameras. Our custom systems are designed to protect your building materials and equipment while monitoring your day-to-day operations on the site. The AXIS cameras we install with our video management software help deter crime, increase peace of mind, and prevent the loss of those valuable assets. Reach out for a quote today.
