On the surface, securing construction sites might seem like a low priority. Aren’t there higher-profile targets such as banks, jewelry stores, and museums that thieves would want to target?
According to a 2019 study by East Tennessee State University that used data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the U.S. construction industry loses around $1 billion due to theft every year. And, as high as that figure is, it doesn’t even account for other sources of loss, such as vandalism or insurance claims.
The question then becomes, “How do I best protect my construction site?” You have a few options, such as an armed security guard and a jobsite security system. Here are a few reasons to consider construction site security and what type of security will protect you best.
Preventing Theft
The primary reason you need a jobsite security system or armed guard is to keep your valuable equipment and tools from getting stolen. Security acts both as a deterrent, especially when made plainly visible, and as a way to catch thieves in the act.
While an armed security guard can provide a set of eyes and ears on the ground, they can’t be everywhere at once. They can also lose concentration and get sick. And they’ll need vacation time and breaks.
A quality construction site security system will give you far more coverage. You can monitor your site day and night with cameras, digital recordings, automatic police and EMS dispatching, and alarms. With a system that monitors every inch of the site, if someone sneaks into your construction site to take materials or tools, you can catch them.
Deterring Vandalism
Sometimes, people aren’t interested in taking your property so much as damaging it. From taggers spray painting machinery and buildings to people causing genuine physical destruction, vandals cost you and your clients time and money. Armed guards can chase off criminals or detain them, but alerts and recordings from a jobsite security system can help you identify them.
Consider also that vandalism can take other forms. For instance, disgruntled employees can sabotage certain operations, such as drainage and runoff filtration, which could lead to an environmental disaster and heavy fines and cleanup. Also, sites can be targeted for illegal garbage dumping, requiring contractors to waste resources trying to remove large amounts of trash.
Preventing Trespassers
Even if the intentions of someone trespassing are relatively harmless, they can still end up doing damage to your site or, perhaps more worryingly, themselves. If a trespasser gets injured (or injures someone else), you could be liable and end up with a lawsuit. It will be your responsibility to prove that you did everything in your power to keep people from sneaking onto your site and that it’s as safe as possible.
If you hire armed guards, they have to be extremely well-trained to avoid letting people in who don’t belong. People can lie, claim to be employees or families of employees, and otherwise talk their way past unwitting guards. Having a construction site security system in place is essential for this reason.
From recorded video documenting when and where someone trespassed to providing real-time observation for multiple individuals, a security system creates extra layers of accountability.
Improving Overall Safety
Security isn’t just a matter of keeping bad actors out — it’s also about keeping an eye on day-to-day operations. This isn’t about quickly securing a security system rental to micromanage employees. It’s to ensure your crew is meeting safety standards.
Security protects employees by catching accidents and injuries the moment they happen, documenting incidents to avoid misunderstandings, and identifying new and previously unseen hazards.
Guards are certainly a benefit for de-escalating conflicts and spotting safety violations, but they aren’t as comprehensive as a constantly running security system. Even if a guard breaks up a fight between a pair of crewmembers, they would still have to determine the cause of that fight. Without security footage, it could be an impossible task.
Guards and Security Systems Are One Part of the Puzzle
Having armed guards and a comprehensive security system is excellent at dealing with potential theft or vandalism, but there are still more ways to keep sites safe. Construction sites also need a perimeter barrier that prevents easy access. 24/7 lighting keeps visibility high so nothing goes unnoticed. All entryways and equipment storage locations should have locks. No piece of equipment should have keys left inside.
By focusing on safety and security in their totality, site managers and contractors can sleep soundly knowing that they have a proper trespasser-resistant construction area. From armed guards to a full security system, as well as intelligent and thoughtful site prep, the steps are straightforward.
Keep Watch Over Your Construction Site With tattletale®
With a tattletale® security system rental, your site will get the protection it needs. Whether you decide to hire armed guards or not, a tattletale® will be your eyes and ears, watching every inch of the construction area.
tattletale® comes with ambush-proof technology to resist tampering or bypassing, a 4,000-foot wireless range, as well as a capacity for up to 450 sensors. With central station monitoring, police and EMS can be dispatched quickly to handle any threats or emergencies. Best of all, tattletale® works every second of every day to protect up to 12.5 million square feet! It’s easy to deploy and requires no complex wiring.
Provide the protection your construction site deserves. Contact tattletale® and get set up today.
