Theft is a huge problem in the construction business. There are a lot of very expensive tools and equipment left on the site overnight, and if it is stolen, this will cause you a lot of financial issues. Even if you are insured, making a claim will increase your insurance costs and a break-in will slow the job down, which leads to lost earnings. However, if you follow these important steps, you can protect your construction business from theft. 

 

 

Conduct Background Checks On Employees

 Although a lot of theft comes from outside of the business, employee theft is still a possibility. Most of the people that you hire will be trustworthy and they won’t steal from you, but there will always be some opportunists that try to get away with expensive tools, hoping that nobody will notice. That’s why it’s essential to conduct background checks whenever you hire a new employee. Check for any recent criminal activity and see how long they have stayed in their previous jobs. Somebody that is moving between jobs often is not likely to be reliable and this may be an indication that they have been stealing from previous job sites. 

Install Security Cameras

You need to keep an eye on the job site after you close up for the day if you want to prevent theft. The easiest way to do that is to install construction site surveillance systems. Having cameras around the site acts as a deterrent against employee theft as well as break-ins. If somebody does break into the site, having CCTV footage will also make it easier for the police to catch the culprits and recover your equipment. Ensuring that your employees are in line with health and safety procedures is also a lot easier if you have camera footage and the cameras will discourage people from cutting corners. 

Consider How You Store Your Equipment 

The way that you store your equipment overnight is very important. Machines that you are not using at the minute can be stored off-site to reduce the chance of theft. You should also think about how visible things are. If you have a lot of expensive tools and equipment on show, your site is a lot more attractive to burglars. When storing equipment off-site, look for secure options like warehouse storage. 

Add Plenty Of Lighting 

When criminals are looking for opportunities to break into a construction site, they always scope out the site first to see whether it’s an easy target or not. A pitch black construction site is a good target because they’re not likely to be spotted. That’s why you should always add plenty of lighting to the site. Even though this is an added cost, it makes your site far less attractive to burglars. Good lighting also means that you can continue working later in the evenings during winter when it gets dark early. 

 

Theft can have a big financial impact on your construction business so it’s important that you take steps to protect your tools and equipment.