An unfortunate reality of the construction business is that many construction sites are vandalized or experience some level of theft during the lifespan of the project. This is not just the case for new construction jobs, but for remodels as well. The result can be a potentially staggering cost to the construction company and/or the owner of the property. Not to mention the possible loss of time and progress.
However, there are some measures that can be taken to help prevent theft on a construction job site.
Here are Seven Ways to Protect a Job Site:
1. Ensure that the job site remains well-lit, even at night. There may be an additional cost in electric to do this but criminals are far less likely to be brazen enough to steal from an unmanned site if it is well lit. Especially if it is in an area around other houses where they could easily be spotted. Be sure that the corners of the site are lit as well.
2. If the site is left completely open, it is far more likely to face theft and vandalism. Therefore, it is a good idea to install some fencing around the perimeter, leaving only one entrance to the site. It would also be a wise idea to invest in a sturdy lock for that entrance to help prevent any potential thieves.
3. If you have installed a fence with a locked entrance, or if the project is a remodel on a pre-existing house, you may want to consider installing an alarm system that will notify the police directly of a break-in.
4. In many cases, one of the most commonly stolen items from a job site are the tools. It is never a good idea to overstock tools on the site because it makes it that much easier for them to be stolen and unnoticed by the workers, as well as, an outside party. Try to only keep the tools that are absolutely necessary to the project on the site at any given time and remove as many as possible at the end of each work day. You may also want to consider engraving or marking all of the tools in some way so that if they are stolen, they will be easier to identify and recover.
5. It is also important to keep a running inventory of the tools that are being used on the project and keep that inventory list updated regularly. This will make it easier to identify if something is missing, and if so narrow down the time frame in which the item may have been stolen or lost.
6. Of course, it is not always practical to take these measure with some of the larger pieces of equipment. Therefore, it is a common practice to install an unknown GPS tracker on those items, so if they are taken, the police will be able to find them with greater ease, and likely apprehend the criminal as well. A GPS tracker is a small price to pay in comparison to the cost of most larger pieces of equipment.
7. If it is not practical to remove the majority of the tools and equipment at the end of the workday, consider placing a locker or storage system on the job site for these items. Anything valuable should be inventoried, and locked in the storage unit before being securely locked up at the end of each day. An opening inventory should be taken at the beginning of the day as well to make sure nothing valuable was lost overnight. Also be sure to secure the locker to the site, as you would a safe.