Whether you lose tools, machinery or materials, construction site theft is always frustrating to deal with. And because of how often theft occurs, securing a jobsite should be of the utmost importance. To help save you from unnecessary headaches, we share a few tips on how to protect your construction site from theft.
Track purchases and keep inventory
While keeping a list of purchase receipts, tools, materials and machinery won’t prevent theft, it does make filing a police report easier. It’s also easier to report exactly what you lost and how much it cost the insurance company. Construction site theft only makes the job take longer, so you want to report the theft and get replacement materials as quickly as possible.
Turn off equipment and fuel supplies
To prevent the theft of large machinery, immobilization devices or automatic battery disconnect switches will keep machinery safe. The idea here is that even if a thief gets into the driver’s seat, they have no way to drive off. The same idea applies to a fuel pump kill switch. Having any of these devices installed protects vehicles and equipment from disappearing when no one’s at the jobsite to keep an eye out.
Secure equipment and materials
Ideally, you’ll lock and chain down whatever you can and put all the keys in safe storage. At the end of the day, everything should be in its place, whether it’s in a storage unit, garage or toolbox. Investing in quality locks is also a must. Most thieves want to get in and out fast and leave as little evidence that they were there as possible. This means they likely won’t take the time to use a blow torch or sledgehammer like in the movies.
Solutions for outdoor construction sites
Some jobsites are completely outdoors, far away from any nearby neighborhoods or cities. This leaves lots of machinery and materials out in the open. So what can you do?
Many site managers choose to have certain tools engraved with a barcode so that they become easier to track and more difficult for thieves to sell. It’s also wise to arrange material deliveries when people are at the jobsite. The longer the materials sit out, the more opportunity you’re giving a thief to steal them.
If you have too much equipment to track, or it’s simply too costly to leave your site vulnerable, you can bring the storage to you. Temporary enclosures make jobsites safer and can be a fantastic resource for those looking to protect their equipment ASAP. As a plus, you can easily install security cameras and alarm systems in your temporary enclosure to better protect your construction site from theft.
