Securing Construction Site: Should You Hire Security Guards?

Construction sites are frequently targeted by unscrupulous individuals seeking access to costly equipment and resources. As the owner of one of these sites, you are accountable for the protection of both property and people. To accomplish that aim, you must prioritize security. 

You might ask yourself, “How can I secure my construction sites?” Security guards are among the most successful deterrents against the types of crimes that commonly occur on construction sites. Should you hire them? And what about the advantages? In the text below, we’ll discuss exactly that and more. 

Securing Construction Site: Should You Hire Security Guards?
How to secure your construction sites? Source: Pexels

Theft, Transpassing And Different Forms Of Vandalism 

Construction sites are unfortunately regular targets for crimes like theft, damage, and harassment. The reasons are self-evident. Tons of important supplies and expensive things are lying around, often neglected, particularly during off hours. Construction sites are attractive targets for both inexperienced and experienced crooks looking to make a large payday at night. More daring criminals will even try their crimes during the day.

Uniformed security guards are among your finest lines of defense against these types of crimes. The mere presence of a security officer on the grounds is frequently enough to dissuade would-be thieves from ever attempting to enter your facility. Guards show the outside world that your site location takes appropriate security measures and that the odds of committing a crime there are slim.

Control Access To The Property

Construction sites are bustling places, with a lot of people coming and going all the time. An effective and secure organization must have mechanisms in place to regulate the premises’ access and control visitors, from employees to vendors. Your site may be more exposed to theft and damage if you do not have a strategy in place to manage access to it.

Security guards can help mitigate this by keeping an eye on all entries and exits. To that end, trained construction site security guards verify credentials, log visitors, and take action if an unauthorized person accesses the premises. If a visitor arrives at the site without legitimate credentials, experienced guards can call the relevant authority to confirm or refuse entrance.

Conduct Mobile Patrols

Construction sites may be enormous in size. It is difficult to carefully monitor each square foot without the assistance of a trained, professional security team that knows what to look for and how to respond in the event of a security breach.

Walker and vehicle patrols assist you in properly monitoring your property so you may be certain that your important items are secured. Guards can patrol on foot or by car at both regular and random intervals, ensuring that your security is constantly moving and never static. Guards can immediately communicate with each other, you, and local officials in the case of a security breach using cutting-edge communication technology.

Reports Should Be Thorough

It is vital to keep accurate and complete records at all times in order to stay on top of all security concerns on the site. You may be confident that there are experienced and competent employees on the grounds who are recording security events and suspicious behavior when you hire professional security guards. Reports can be helpful in aiding police officers after a felony has been committed, boosting the chances that the culprits will be located and held accountable for their actions.

You Will Save Both Time And Money

As a construction site manager, you are accountable for completing the task on schedule and within budget. While you may be apprehensive about hiring worksite security guards owing to the additional expense to your bottom line, consider how much time, money, and headache you will save. Even one piece of heavy equipment stolen or destroyed might cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars. Repairing damaged structures may incur material and labor costs.

You may prevent these unneeded charges and keep your employees secure by employing a skilled staff of guards on site. Professional guards will defend and secure your building site at reasonable prices. 

There are other methods of securing your site.

Make Use Of Proper Lighting

Construction sites that are well-lit will serve to prevent criminal activities by reducing hiding areas and increasing the danger of being discovered. Motion-activated lighting is an excellent deterrent.

Set Up Fence

The work site, including storage spaces and trailers, should be surrounded by a perimeter fence. Fencing has two purposes: first, it prevents unwanted entrance to the site, and second, it limits the capacity of anybody who gains unlawful access to take property from the location. To that end, barbed wire or a fence that activates an alarm will offer an extra degree of security to the location.

Display Signage

After the fencing is in place, install visible no-trespassing signs to deter would-be intruders. Make sure the signage is within visible distance and eye-catching so as to draw the attention of anyone passing by. This way, you’ll further ensure the safety of the construction site, and you’ll have evidence about taking proper safety measures. 

Security Footage 

Monitoring techniques on construction sites may also include surveillance footage. In the event of vandalism or theft, having CCTV in place can aid in identification and recovery.

Safeguard Your Equipment

Clients should prepare ahead for the location and type of equipment and material storage on the job site during off-hours. Contractors or owners of mobile equipment may also wish to place tracking devices on gear to help locate and recover stolen equipment.

Safeguard Your Equipment
Keep an eye on the equipment. Source: Pexels

Plan Ahead Of Time For Delivery

Knowing when a supply will be made and scheduling deliveries at times when someone will be present to safeguard the items may help avoid unattended material theft. Planning for delivery will also reduce the possibility of unauthorized persons entering the premises.

Insurance Coverage 

Contractors’ risk and builders’ equipment insurance can cover theft or vandalism of building site supplies, equipment, and tools—an insurable stake in a construction project. Insurance coverage is not a replacement for the other steps on this list, but it can provide an essential safety net if a loss happens despite implementing reasonable security measures.

The choice solely depends on you and your personal preference. Some of the methods are cost-effective and you might save a few dollars by putting up proper fences and signage, but all of the above-mentioned lack one thing: human knowledge and intuition. A well-trained guard can sense danger and possible theft even before it happens and can prevent it. 

The above-mentioned alternatives mostly help you with the aftermath of the accident, but a security guard can prevent it from ever occurring. By simply taking the right steps and contacting officials, you might get away with less damage than expected. 

In the end, the costs of security maintenance might amount to the same as paying a security guard. Also, the mentioned measures are preventive and proactive and therefore should be implemented as well for a higher level of safety. 

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Charlotte Antalia

Charlotte decided to become a full-time freelancer, and she has a strong urge to polish her style and pursuit a content-based career path. In her writing career, she adopts her years of experience in education and financial institution to create far-out reads from job interviews' tips, work, and business strategies. Better yet, her personal experience navigating career switching and tactics to deal with the work environment hurdles will bring practical, precious expertise and command to all readers. Off we go and get the vibe!