The cost of building projects has skyrocketed due to supply chain issues and inflation. This has led to a thriving bootleg market for stolen building materials such as copper wire, lumber, tools, and generators. No job site is safe, and the problem is expected to worsen over time.
“Construction site theft costs the industry as much as $1 billion every year.” - National Equipment Register.
Construction sites are most vulnerable after dark
After hours, construction sites are easy targets for thieves. This leaves owners, contractors, equipment dealers and insurance companies to discover devastating losses in the morning – not just to their pockets, but to their operations and reputations, as well.
“90% of construction site theft occurs between 6 p.m. on Fridays and 6 a.m. on Mondays.” - Great American Insurance Group
Construction sites see a spike in thefts over holidays and long weekends, too. Top targeted items for job site theft include:
- Heavy equipment stored onsite
- Tools that weren’t locked up securely
- Appliances
- Lumber
- Scrap metals or copper laying around or not in a locked container
Job site theft costs more than money
When your construction site is hit by thieves, the costs are much greater than simply the replacement value of the stolen items, including:
- Downtime – When your machinery, tools, or building materials are stolen, construction will cease until the items are replaced. One delay in a large construction job can create a cascade of problems for the duration of the project.
- Reputational Damage – Unhappy customers talk. If your business becomes infamous for not being able to meet deadlines no matter what the reason is, it could damage your reputation permanently and cost your business customers down the road.
- Increased Insurance Premiums – A single large claim can raise your commercial property insurance premiums by as much as 20%.
- Rental Equipment Refusal – If a piece of rental equipment is stolen from your job site, rental equipment companies may refuse to rent to you again.
Protect your bottom line and reputation before it’s too late
Construction companies that lack adequate and effective security systems are an easier target for thieves. Protect yourself against job site theft by adding these security features to your construction site:
- Reputable security guards – The physical presence of a security guard at a job site is a powerful crime deterrent. But be aware that physical security guards cannot be everywhere at once, therefore, some parts of your site will always be unprotected. Security guards work best when employed in tandem with a layered security approach.
- Surveillance cameras – Surveillance cameras are an excellent psychological deterrent to crime, as they send a clear message that anyone entering your job site is being watched. Also, security camera footage can be used to catch thieves and potentially recover stolen property.
- Electric perimeter security fence – A simple chain-link fence around your job site is a speed bump, not a stop sign, for thieves. However, an electrified perimeter security fence stops thieves in their tracks with thousands of shocking volts. An electrified fence cannot be cut with a bolt cutter, scaled, or knocked down like a regular fence because touching it instantly transfers thousands of volts of electricity to the perpetrators. For keeping people off your job site, nothing beats a high-powered electric fence.
- Lot lighting – Movable lighting takes away criminals’ most trusted resource – darkness. Consider adding lighting to your job site at critical points such as gates, doors and windows to buildings, and particularly isolated parts of your construction site.
“Studies show that 3 out of 4 commercial burglaries are committed at properties without adequate lighting.”
- Lock up – Create a system to make sure all doors, windows, gates, vehicles and machinery are locked before leaving for the day or over the weekend. Many job site crimes are crimes of opportunity!
Work with a security partner you trust
You’re in business because you are an expert at what you do. You don’t have to be an expert at security, too. Make sure you work with a trusted partner like AMAROK to make sure you are fully protected from the rising tide of job site theft.
Want to know if your site is at risk?
Schedule your complimentary Threat Assessment today. One of our security experts will:
- Assess your property
- Examine your current security system
- Expose hidden vulnerabilities
- Develop a plan to keep your job site safe
