Protecting Your Equipment: How to Prevent Construction Site Theft

Construction companies are always looking for ways to reduce costs on their worksite and tend to focus on methods that make their equipment more efficient. One of the best ways to prevent income loss is to prevent equipment theft. Though this seems obvious, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that construction equipment and material theft account for over $1 billion a year in losses.

When theft occurs, not only does your company lose expensive machinery and materials that will have to be replaced, you’ll also have to account for the cost of downtime and project overruns if the missing equipment causes a delay. Additionally, your insurance premiums may increase.

Safety Measures for Your Worksite and Equipment

To prevent construction site theft, it’s first important to understand why it occurs. Job sites tend to be easy targets, as they frequently have poor security with little to no supervision at night and over the weekends if no work is occurring. Additionally, there can be a general lack of product identification numbers and records in the industry, making items difficult to track and recover.

One of the simplest things you can do to safeguard your job site is to increase the lighting during off hours to discourage trespassers. It’s vital to also take steps to secure the site—if possible, fence in the area and install security cameras with motion sensors. A dummy camera can even be effective as well. What’s essential is that you make it clear to thieves they have a high risk of getting caught on your job site.

Another useful prevention measure is taking the time to strategically organize your equipment at the end of the day. Park your machines close together in a circle with smaller pieces in the center, if possible. Also, be sure to lock up anything that’s not in use.

Immobilization devices can be purchased as well, such as wheel locks, fuel shut-offs, and ignition locks. You might also consider installing a tracking system and integrating the technology with the local police so that if theft does occur, they can quickly and easily handle equipment recovery.

Even simply having an equipment theft program and security plan can make a difference in whether or not your job site will be targeted by thieves. Always take the necessary steps to protect your job site, your equipment, and correspondingly, your money. Contact us today for more information on how to keep your construction site safe or to find your next piece of construction equipment.