What is the level of security risk at your building locations? How many incidents of misery or robbery do you constantly cause? How much do these incidents cost you? How would you ensure building site security?
If you are a project owner, general contractor (GC), or construction manager (CM), these are essential questions to ask. With each case of burglary or vandalism, there are obvious upfront costs to consider, as well as the potential loss of time or usefulness.
However, security frameworks and preventative strategies can be costly. This essay explores the finest four building site security measures available to workers for hire and differentiates their potential ROI (return from speculation) for each enterprise premise.
Why Construction Site Security Is Crucial
It is estimated that losses from theft on construction sites average around $1 billion per year in the United States alone.
The average cost of theft is $30,000, with only one out of every four things recovered.
In 2016, more than 11,000 instances were reported, averaging more than 32 per day.
These mishaps were caused by two cheats used on construction sites as well as common traffic, which could result in unfavorable access to locations late at night.
Building locations are frequently determined due to the high cost of a substantial portion of the hardware used nearby, as previously demonstrated. Numerous building locations also provide generally safe, high-paying opportunities, while many sophisticated building destinations remain unstable.
To make matters worse, the cost of GCs and CMs goes beyond simply replacing stolen gear. It also includes the loss of utility and time caused by missing hardware. So, time spent on police investigations and protection claims, as well as the cost of leasing or financing equipment to meet temporary needs and reduce the risk of project delays.
A strong building site security approach to protect your locations will help you avoid losses. Discover more below.
Top Four Construction Site Security Methods
Totally removing a construction site from any risk of disaster or harm may be an absurd goal. Nonetheless, there are a few steps that may be taken to keep employees accountable and significantly reduce the risk of unwanted access to a project site.
The building site security techniques listed below are not intended to be used alone, but rather to be combined or connected to form a comprehensive security strategy. Determine when it is a good idea to consider each arrangement as well as the expected ROI on the business.
Video surveillance
Video observation arrangements have improved dramatically. Gone are the days of grainy 480p cameras with 12-hour memory storage. Today, most current building site monitoring arrangements include high-quality inclusion, 360-degree inclusion, warning frameworks, infrared focal points or movement lights, robotized ready frameworks to detect suspicious behavior, and so on.
These advanced security frameworks, when properly conveyed, can provide complete site inclusion. Furthermore, by doing so, these frameworks improve the chances of later locating responsible parties and recovering wasted resources.
What is the most outstanding feature? They do not jeopardize anyone’s personal safety.
What is the drawback? They may do less to prevent misbehavior than a physical presence on the construction site.
Video surveillance is most effective for large-scale operations with significant equipment.
Large project locations, such as campuses, may be impossible to patrol without the use of technology or technical support.
Projects having significant insurance liabilities. A robust video surveillance system with remote monitoring services might help you reduce project liability and insurance costs.
On-Site Security Personnel
Safety personnel are ubiquitous in the developing area. However, they are rarely occasionally used as the only security mechanism. As a result, they are a viable alternative to many building site security solutions and may frequently meet additional requirements.
Some of the most significant risks that safety officers protect construction sites from are material theft, damage to the project or property, the theft of blueprints or ideas, the protection of work, and keeping things organized.
The best applications for on-site security personnel:
Smaller project locations with fewer entrance points and less perimeter to patrol.
High-crime places and locales may require more deterrence. As a result, physical bodies are frequently perceived as more scary than quiet (or perhaps unseen) deterrence measures.
Projects in congested metropolitan areas. If hundreds (or thousands) of people pass by your workplace every day. As a result, a physical deterrent mechanism can help prevent unauthorized site access.
According to studies, 79% of employees will steal from their employer at least once. This adds to the sense of urgency that development organizations must protect themselves not only from the outside, but also from within.
The first step in developing a gear library is to label everything on your structure site with a unique number, tag, or other distinguishing feature. A portion of these things should be enlisted as per legal directions (tag on a forklift), but others are alternatively followed by the venture proprietor, GC, or CM using labels (hardware, for example, sway torques, electric nibblers, and so on). Someone on site should then be responsible for ensuring that all equipment is properly inspected and registered.
However, hardware vaults do little to prevent robbery from individuals outside of your labour force; a library, on the other hand, is primarily a targeted gear store on your site. Having a substantial amount of your hardware consolidated in a single secure space makes it less easily accessible to potential thieves, reducing losses.
Although a library can be physically managed, the most effective approach to keep track of equipment is to use hardware and executive software. Tenna is a popular programming solution for development firms looking to improve their gear visibility.
Equipment management systems are best suited for large projects with multiple subcontractors managed by a general contractor or construction manager. The larger the project, the more equipment is required, as is the volume of worker travel, which might result in loss.
If a building site is located in an area prone to theft. Tenna, for example, can send automated alerts to equipment owners if their equipment is moved outside of operating hours, preventing theft. This tracking technology also aids with the police search and recovery efforts.
Access control systems are often overlooked as a security measure for project owners, general contractors, and construction managers. They connect programs and equipment by connecting entryways, entryway strikes, or other section points to LTE-connected brilliant devices that verify worker certificates and prevent unfit/uncertified workers from accessing a workplace.
Access control is best suited for high-rise buildings with minimal security exposure and simple maintenance via a single or multiple access points. The fewer entry points there are, the fewer opportunities for criminals to exploit them.
Large projects may involve dozens or hundreds of subtrades entering and exiting the site during the life of the project.
Projects in strongly regulated states (such as New York), where local regulations, such as Local Law 196, set a significantly higher standard for competent construction worker training.
Construction Site Security Methods for Saving Money You will need to be successful.
Before you recruit a guard, make sure each candidate has these essential security guard abilities. Read on to learn more about the attributes that a good security guard should have.
You cannot place a price on the security of your business. Hiring a security guard is the wise decision, and while security systems play an important role, they cannot protect individuals in an emergency.
If you need commercial security companies to secure your business, look no further than Lighthouse Security Guard Service. The company is a certified and insured private security agency that protects a variety of businesses, including hotels. As a result, our security personnel receive extensive training to deal with a variety of circumstances that may arise on the job.
Contact Lighthouse Security today to safeguard your business and receive assistance with any of its security needs.
