In late September, 2007, two construction sites in Des Moines, Iowa experienced first-hand the importance of construction site security.  One site lost a Komatsu excavator, and a Trail King Low Boy trailer was stolen from a construction site just down the road.  The combined value of the stolen equipment is nearly $200,000.  The county sheriff’s department has no leads and little hope of recovering the stolen heavy-construction machines.  

According to the National Equipment Register – an organization that maintains a national registry of stolen heavy equipment – contractors lose up to $1 billion annually due to construction site theft.  Loss goes beyond money as construction companies also suffer damages in the form of time spent filling out insurance claim forms, waiting for equipment replacements, and penalties for not finishing a project on time.  Constant staff turnover combined with high-value equipment make construction sites the perfect target for theft and vandalism.  On top of that, most sites are often left unsecured at night and on weekends.   

Preventative Construction Site Security

 

To prevent crime on your construction site, there are some defensive tactics you utilize:

 

  • Protect your site’s perimeter.  Put up temporary fences around your construction site to limit access and deter thieves.
  • Illuminate your site.  A properly lit construction site dissuades criminal activity so try to eliminate as many shadowy hiding places as possible.
  • Have visible security cameras.  Make sure all your employees know where they are located to prevent employee theft.
  • Control your keys.  Remove keys from vehicles that aren’t being used and store the keys in a secure place.  Recover keys from employees tha
    t quit or are let go.

 

Detecting Construction Site Crime

 

While completely preventing construction site crime is preferable, it isn’t always possible.  There are several ways to detect crime on construction sites after it occurs:

 

  • Install asset trackers.  If equipment is stolen, asset trackers make it proportionally easier to recover.  In lieu of asset trackers, mark your company property with a serial number as an effective way to locate stolen goods.
  • Install hidden cameras.  In addition to visible cameras, a few strategically placed hidden cameras will aid in the detection of construction site criminals.  Hidden cameras won’t be disabled by thieves and provide important proof of criminal activity.
  • Mark company property with paint.  This is an inexpensive way to find your equipment after it’s stolen.
  • Install a security system.  A good security system can tell you a lot about the crime such as where and how the thief entered your property.

 

Personal Construction Site Security

 

Construction site security goes beyond protecting equipment from theft and vandalism.  Your construction employees must stay safe and secure onsite as well.  To ensure the security of employees on your construction site:

 

  • Provide proper training to new employees
  • Keep your site tidy – many accidents occur when someone trips and falls over misplaced equipment
  • Maintain fire alarms and extinguishers
  • Ensure employees wear the right gear for their specific jobs:  hard hats, gloves, back braces, goggles, etc.