Every year, the UK Construction Industry endures losses of around £800 million because of several common crimes, theft, vandalism and health and safety neglect. The costs incurred are caused by both the crimes themselves and the financial burdens which they create, which include project delays, replacement or repair of goods/work or equipment, and substantially higher insurance premiums.
So how we can prevent them from occurring in the future?
Theft
Theft is by far the most common crime on construction sites, a recent study showed 21% of 1,100 construction industry professionals surveyed having experienced theft each week, while a massive 92% stated that they had experienced theft either weekly, monthly or yearly. What might come as a surprise to many is that around half of these thefts are carried out by site employees or contractors who are working on the project themselves.
The tools and machinery found on construction sites are expensive, which means that replacing these stolen items can produce significant financial pressure.
Locking up valuable assets is a must, prevent opportunist, keep an eye on site stock and materials, ring fence these items away from theft.
Vandalism
In the same research study 91% of those surveyed reported that they had experienced vandalism, demonstrating the breadth of the problem.
Having high quality fences and locks fitted will help in stopping many intruders from entering and causing damage to the site. Likewise, implementing excellent site-wide security, such as CCTV, intruder alarms, and the physical presence of a security guard, will certainly make would-be trespassers think twice before entering.
Health and safety neglect
The industry itself is particularly prone to dangerous situations, which often occur due to health and safety neglect. Site owners must seek to take extra precautions to stop accidents from taking place, and they can do this by ensuring better compliance with health and safety standards and carrying out thorough site risk assessments.
Access control systems ensure that members of the public cannot enter your construction site and hurt themselves, while hiring manned guards and high-quality modern CCTV cameras across the site will also deter trespassers from entering.
Furthermore, CCTV systems allow for constant monitoring of site activities, which helps to identify and address potential staff health and safety threats before they can create a significant problem.
However, the best way to protect your site from crime is to invest in wide-ranging, high-quality construction site security., access control systems, wireless video detection and SIA guards – contact us today to discuss your needs.
Telephone 01788 561 244 or email to admin@stonewallsecurtity.co.uk
