5 Effective Ways to Prevent Theft on Your Construction Site

With opportunities to shape skylines and forge new communities, construction is one of the most lucrative and rewarding careers! However, like any occupation, it has its share of risks, and working in the public eye means being open to various challenges, including theft and sabotage, which are unfortunately rife in the sector. Indeed, shockingly, 21% of construction professionals face potential theft every week, as revealed in a recent CIOB research report.

Fortunately, however, there are measures you can take to protect your construction site and its assets from malicious intent.

1. Security Systems

Investing in security systems is the most obvious proactive step you can take to not only catch thieves in the act but deter them from trying it on in the first place. If you’re serious about job site security, you could even take things a step further and hire professional security personnel to keep the site secure during nonoperational hours. Trained security guards can patrol your site, monitor security cameras, and respond to suspicious activity, and, depending on your budget, they can either be based on-site or remotely.

2. Lock Up Vehicles and Equipment

Construction equipment and tools can be worth a lot and are often left unattended. As such they are often targeted by opportunistic thieves. To keep these thieves and their sticky hands away, lock all vehicles when not in use and ensure all equipment is locked away too. To keep yourself and your workers more protected, builders’ insurance can also be used to ensure your valuable tools and machinery can be replaced if the worst should happen.

3. Fencing It Off

Securing the perimeter of your construction site can act as a strong deterrent to potential thieves and make it prohibitively difficult for them to access the grounds in the first place. Install sturdy perimeter fencing around your site to establish clear boundaries and discourage unauthorized access.

4. Employee Background Checks

While we’d like to think we can trust our members of staff, 90% of business losses on a construction site are caused by employee theft. Ensuring the trustworthiness of your team members is crucial to preventing internal theft so conduct thorough employee background checks to maintain a secure work environment.

5. Records of Purchase

Maintaining detailed records of equipment and material purchases may seem like tedious administrative work, but it can serve as an effective theft prevention strategy. Keep records of every purchase, no matter how small, for example, not only to help with general housekeeping but to provide a clear inventory of your assets so you know right away if something’s gone missing. Also, just the knowledge that purchases are being meticulously recorded can discourage any insiders from attempting to get away with it in the first place!