Construction sites can be particularly difficult to guard through traditional means. The site is often unattended overnight, on weekends, and when the weather prevents outdoor work. Worksites can be spread out and sometimes located in remote areas. If located in a business district, the area could be vacant for extended periods for miles around.
What is Construction Theft?
Common types of construction theft can include: employees taking home materials for their own projects; crimes of opportunity, where someone walking by steals an unattended wheelbarrow, for example; or organized thieves who make their living stealing from construction sites, either high value such as copper or high volume, backing a truck or van up to the location and filling the vehicle to capacity.
Prevent Construction Theft
To address employee theft, clearly communicate a zero-tolerance policy. They may not see the harm in taking home a couple of boards or a box of nails, but they don’t think about scale – what would happen if every worker on site took home just a few items. It adds up quickly.
For organized theft or crimes of opportunity, a comprehensive solution can help keep your site secure. Security guards can be part of your plan, but they can only cover so much ground, and savvy thieves can keep track of when patrols occur. Remote security monitoring can provide better insight into activity on the construction site, no matter how remote the location.
Avoid Liability
Construction sites can present an attractive nuisance. Children and even adults who should know better see construction sites as their personal playground and the property owner or construction company is expected to take responsibility. Remotely video guards can caution people away from the site in real-time and alert law enforcement if they refuse to leave. You can also use security cameras to verify workers’ comp claims with video evidence of what actually occurs on-site.
Gain Flexibility
Remote security monitoring, either in concert with guards or alone, can be an ideal solution for construction security. Because a construction site is ever-changing you need a system with flexibility. Mobile security stations can be customized to the needs of the site. Wheeled stations can be moved to where they are needed. Bright lights can be added, or infrared cameras used. If security is needed far from a power source, solar panels or batteries can be included.
Need to learn more about remote security for your construction site?
Talk to the experts at BOS Security. We help you manage the difficulties of security your site against trespassing, vandalism, and theft through our VirtuGuard remote security monitoring service, contact us at 404-793-6965.
