November, 2003

Criminals Target Building Sites [Irish Construction Industry Magazine]

 

Millions of euro worth of plant and equipment is lifted from building sites every year and the amount of theft that is being reported is on the increase.

In 1999 (the most recent available Garda Statistics), the Garda received 135,000 alarm calls regarding burglary attempts.  Site theft can range from the opportunistic thief to the organized criminal looking to steal anything from tools and timber to JCBs and compressors Irish Construction Industry Magazine knows of cases where the threat posed by crime on sites has resulted in the closure of some businesses because high levels of crime have meant unaffordable insurance premiums.

The most popular and cost effective form of site protection is the use of common sense.  Sites should be gated in and locked at night.  Using the most obvious measures will protect sites from the opportunistic thief.  Sensible efforts to protect the site on a daily and hourly basis will cut down the overall costs of site protection.

Some building sites use either CCTV systems or security guards that patrol the site on a regular basis or both.  Though CCTV systems do record the event, they are passive and cannot prevent the crime taking place, but only supply information once the theft has occurred.  Patrolling security guards can be an effective form of protection but also expensive, something which not all contractors are will to do.

However, advanced alarm technology with the most modern CCTV techniques is equipping building sites with an intelligent security system which allows the Command Centre to watch in 'real-time' the intrusion taking place at a premises and, more importantly, to speak directly to the criminal before they commit the crime. Knowing that they are being watched and that the Gardaí have been notified is a huge deterrent - in 99% of cases recorded the intruder leaves the premises without committing a crime.

Anti-vandal units are another deterrent and can be used to secure equipment on site in steel cabins.  These portable cabins are usually robustly built using structural steel on the main sections and on the roofs and sides.  In addition, strengthened doors complete with chubb locks and the windows that feature sliding steel shutters ensure solid security.  These cabins are being used across the country on all sized sites to safeguard expensive gear, including sophisticated computer systems on site - but they do not protect plant equipment.

An effective form of plant protection is a high-tech positional tracking system. GPS, or global position system, using tracking devices and satellites, keeps a positioning of equipment, so that if it has been stolen, it can be found.  Gardaí can have difficulty finding stolen equipment because of lack of VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) registration. GPS gives a definite location on the plant whether it is stationary or being transported.

One of the major problems with plant theft is that insurance companies do not ask for VIN registration, or specific details for plant equipment. This makes tracking the stolen plant very difficult, and means that stolen plant could be re-insured with the same company under another contractor.

Though all of these systems have their advantages in the protection of building sites, few are foolproof.  The most cost efficient way to protect your site is by exercising common sense and being vigilant.  There are many security options in the marketplace, but without the bare minimum protective measure by contractors themselves, any investment in security would not be well spent.