Managing Construction Site Theft with Security Guards

In the construction industry theft and vandalism is an epidemic in modern times. The following facts support the former claim. These include:

• The National Equipment Register estimates that 300 million to 1 billion dollars are lost every year in the construction industry.
• The number of theft cases has been increasing steadily since 1996 by 10% annually.
• The average age of construction workers is 42 years; they are usually immigrants with low living standards.
• 92% of construction sites are affected by petty crimes, and 27% of these robberies happen weekly.
• There is less than 20% chance of recovery of stolen goods.

The safety of the construction equipment is fundamental to the overall success of the project. Most of these machines are costly and relatively heavy. Therefore most thieves prefer to take spare parts of these apparatus. Without all their pieces, they are useless to the progress of the construction process.
In such scenarios, the solution would be employing construction site guards. Although it may seem unconventional, safety comes first in any project. It is vital to reduce the costs of wastage and increase in overall costs of operation. One in two projects has an 83% chance of over projection in the budget.
Armed security guards will act as a physical indication of security and reduce the chances of robberies. Unfortunately, the same faith in guards doesn’t reflect in reality. For instance, the presence of armed guards is highly likely to prompt violent altercation with burglars. However, construction site security serves the following purposes:

Inspecting Visitors to the Site

In most cases, thieves outline the plan for their heist. Firstly, a security guard prevents this by reporting suspicious guests to the site. Moreover, they alert management in the event of unauthorized entry.

Secondly, they also inspect the vehicles getting into and out of the site both day and night. Taking inventory ensures that any strange activities get spotted.  Also, if the tools got out of the site, the guards will have them on record.

These log entries are a form of record-keeping that will be fundamental for a theft investigation. The police will derive suspects from the entries in the logbooks.

Call for Back up

Theft or disruption will likely occur at the site during the project. For instance, meager wages may prompt the workforce to strike. The security guards should call the local police to deescalate the situation.

Fires break out in construction sites inevitably.  Simply put, a construction site guard needs disaster management skills. One of these skills is the ability to call for backup while calm and collected.

Perform Basic Tasks

In as much as the guard provides security, they should have driving skills and the ability to use equipment like a nightlight and telephone. Furthermore, they should possess excellent interpersonal skills, pass a drug test, and decision-making skills.

Security guards at a construction site are not a guarantee for reduced theft. The best solution is installing state-of-the-art technological surveillance equipment to watch out for intruders. Moreover, store your valuable spare parts machines in an offsite warehouse.