Everybody who ever worked on a construction project is aware of specific hazards and security risks that are lurking. Without concrete safety measures, you will be a mark for thieves, who will target not only your equipment but materials as well. If you are looking to guard your property, save money on replacing anything that people would steal, and finish your project on time, you will need to pay special attention to security. All types of building materials, from lumber, tools, wires, electronic equipment, will be in danger from criminals, organized, or working alone. We will have ten tips for you on how to make your construction site safer. For some of our pieces of advice, you may need to reach out to professional companies for help. If you are wondering where you could get someone trustworthy, maybe check out uvsgroup.com.au. So without further ado, let us begin.
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Have a plan
It is crucial to have an idea and plan for every stage of the project from the very start. So even before construction starts, there should be some measures taken, and you should inform your workers about everything. Safety should not be one man’s concern. There should be a culture shared among everyone on the site. That way, you will have a well-oiled machine working. So encourage your employees to report anything strange they notice, keep a watch on most significant areas of the site, take regular inventory.
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Understand the value of your property
While we don’t want any theft to happen on our sites, we can still manage with petty ones, like a hammer went missing. But some assets are far more valuable to us and our operation. It is essential to understand what thieves would try to steal and to take appropriate measures to guard these assets. That is one of the reasons why we encourage you to take regular inventory.
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Light triumphs over darkness
Criminals tend to work at night. Many of undesired guests can be discouraged to visit you by a bright light during the night. Lighting will make it easier to spot thieves by guards or potential passer-byes. Sometimes unmistakably having lights on will make criminals believe that someone is still on-site, and they will deter from trespassing. And if your guards do spot an intruder, it would be much more difficult for them in light then in darkness.
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Have cameras installed
Where lighting the area fails, having security cameras and quality alarms will do the trick. The monitoring system will have to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to be effective. That way, you can catch any criminals, mischievous youths, or even your workers doing something they shouldn’t be doing. It will also prove useful in identifying them if it comes to involving the police. Make sure to store the tapes of video on a safe location, and it is better to keep them for a while, and not delete them after a few days.
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Don’t forget the alarm
You can not undervalue a sound alarm system. But with alarms, you can take two distinct paths. First is a loud alarm. That one will produce such a great noise that it will shock potential trespassers. Most of them would be frightened and will leave the site before stealing anything or causing any harm. Since loud alarm can warn everybody in the surrounding area, so someone probably will alert the authorities. Or you could go with a silent one. Their purpose is to signal the police right away, without invaders realizing it is happening. That option will more likely lead to their arrest.
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Limit access
Limiting access is probably apparent to some of you, but it still belongs on the list. Limiting access will contain people without permission from intruding significant sections. Entry gates need to have warnings of not entry, crucial office rooms, storage areas, and other sectors you think are of importance as well. That will help in preventing not only thefts from outside, but you will also minimize the danger of internal crime.
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Security guards
Having actual physical security attending your site can not be underestimated. Some criminals can get pretty good theft and can deal with only cameras, but the presence of guards is not something many want to take risks. Having security present in of hours will maximize the safety of your site. Just make sure to hire professionals and communicate with them what is a top priority to you on the site.
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Virtual security guard
In some ways, virtual guards can be as effective as real-life ones. The method to maximize safety is to pair a virtual guard with a modern monitoring system. To have a human pay close attention to every single camera for the entire day is not that efficient. The virtual guard, on the other hand, can simultaneously sweep all cameras and catch anything suspicious happening.
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Containers
An alternative approach to keeping your values safe is to use containers. If you store all your most significant assets in containers that criminals can not possibly lift or damage, you will ensure their safety. Having all your values in one place can also make it easy to guard it. Then you can have your cameras, alarms, and guards all focus on this one point of interest, making it virtually impossible for anyone to steal something that would set back your project.
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Have a fence or a wall
Sometimes the most simplistic answer is the right one. Having a fence around your site can often be enough to keep unwanted visitors at bay. Electric fences are, of course, an option. Electric ones will be non-lethal, naturally, but it will make climbing over the fence unlikely. Cutting the wires of the fence should trigger your alarm, silent or loud, and you will stop trespassers in their intentions.
So if you have problems on your construction site with any criminal activities, here are some tips to make sure it never happens again. After all, it is not only about money we need to replace stolen or damaged property. To finish the project on time is most crucial, since time is money, and we can not do that if we have to buy new machines or materials all the time.