According to Ontario Provincial Police, between $15-20 million worth of heavy construction equipment is stolen in the province each year. Add the cost of looted materials and tools, damage to equipment and premises and losses from business interruption, construction site theft is a serious and costly issue. Protect your job site with a plan to prevent construction site theft.
10 Ways to Prevent Theft:
LIGHT IT UP – A well-lit job site makes it difficult for thieves to get into the site and leave unseen.
SECURE YOUR PERIMETER – Temporary fencing is an inexpensive way to deter thieves by making it difficult for them to access your site.
IMMOBILIZE LARGE EQUIPMENT – Prevent the theft of large equipment such as diggers and forklifts by installing immobilization or battery disconnect devices. Use locking devices such as boots, or surround equipment overnight with stacked materials. Have a system in place to manage equipment keys and keep them in a secure location.
KNOW WHO’S WHO – Do detailed background checks on new hires and keep the use of subcontractors to a minimum. Make sure all workers and visitors sign in and out.
SET THE TONE – Make sure everyone who enters the site knows that theft of any kind will be reported to the police. Give your employees the opportunity to anonymously report any worksite thefts by providing them with a ‘hotline’ number or the contact details for Crimestoppers.
TRACK YOUR TOOLS – Whether you use a simple engraver, bar code tracking or a sophisticated microchip tracking system to manage tools on your smartphone, put a system in place and use it. A thorough tracking system help prevent theft from occurring in the first place, but if a burglary still occurs, a detailed list of tools and equipment is essential if you have to complete a police report or make an insurance claim.
LOCK AWAY TOOLS AND MATERIALS – Make sure all materials and tools are securely locked away in a storage container, locked job site trailer or locking tool box, and invest in good locks.
PLAN MATERIAL DELIVERIES – Arrange for materials to arrive only when needed (just-in-time delivery) because the longer materials are sitting around on your site, the more opportunity thieves have to steal them. If materials must be ordered in advance (to take advantage of sales pricing, for instance), make sure they are securely locked away or stored off-site.
GET NEIGHBOURS ON YOUR SIDE – If you are working on a residential project, introduce yourself to neighbours and give them your phone number. If they see anything suspicious such as a truck that rolls up alongside the site with its lights off, they can call you right away. At the end of the job, give them a small token of appreciation.
CONSIDER A SECURITY SERVICE – If you have a large site or an extensive inventory of valuable materials or equipment, a third party security plan may be in order which might include on-site 24-hour security personnel, online tool and heavy equipment tracking, security alarms and video monitoring.
Report any thefts to police promptly, as your theft may be part of a pattern. Whether you have property coverage, contractor’s equipment insurance or builder’s risk insurance, make sure you know what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t.
No job site is completely safe from determined thieves. But the more steps you take to prevent construction site theft, the more likely the thieves will set their sights elsewhere.
Read more:
‘It is a gold mine:’ Builders warned of rising lumber thefts across Canada (https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/it-is-a-gold-mine-builders-warned-of-rising-lumber-thefts-across-canada-1.5424837)
Missing in Action (http://ohba.ca/magazines/27/articles/89)
Loss Prevention and Security Techniques (http://www.ner.net/docs/WebLossPrevention.pdf)