Site Security an Evolving Problem

Security seems to be a pervasive topic in all areas of life at the moment. Just recently the news that Chinese military hackers have been charged by the USA with economic cyber espionage has highlighted the problems of technological security. Whilst the dispute between Beijing and Washington is newsworthy and has a global relevance, for most of us, however, security is a concern closer to home. Protecting our own property, for instance, affects us more directly than an international cyber-attack. We can of course take a few simple steps to make sure our property is protected by, amongst others, having good quality locks and ensuring we use them, perhaps a burglar alarm or even cctv, all of which secures our home and gives us peace of mind. Securing something like a construction site is more difficult, with problems of its own. Site Protection Protecting any site that is unoccupied for any period of time is problematic for owners and contactors and this particularly applies to construction sites. In the UK over £1 million worth of plant and equipment are stolen each week. This is an astonishing figure made even more depressing by the knowledge that less than 10% is ever recovered. So what measures can be taken to ensure that a site is protected, a few are listed below, but I am sure there are many more! People make a difference Most construction sites are swarming with people carrying out different activities, and they can help in securing the site. For example making sure that plant and equipment is locked up where appropriate, as well as understanding best practice when siting machinery to make it less accessible to potential thieves. This security culture needs to be embedded by effective training, but with the best will in the world things still go missing. Plant Security Being able to identify plant in the event of theft makes recovery much easier. The CESAR scheme run by a group of organisations including the Construction Equipment Association ensures that a piece of plant can be marked in a variety of ways including microdots and transponders which can identify the machine and who owns it (More details can be seen here). Of course any machine marked in this way makes it much less attractive to a thief if they know that the provenance can be easily checked. Lighting and CCTV Effective lighting is a great deterrent to potential theft particularly where there are other properties nearby. The lighting itself also has to be protected from interference, by placing it at high level away from potential attack. Having a visible cctv on site deters thieves, but the cameras themselves can be susceptible to theft and should be protected by using M3.5 tamper resistant electrical screws. For additional security, among the types of systems available are ones which are monitored in a control room where staff can speak to intruders via a PA system to advise them that the police have been called. Perimeter Fencing The most basic form of security is a fence surrounding the site. This should be of good quality and high enough (about 2.4 metres) to discourage intruders, but if they do encroach them the fence should allow them to be visible. Where there are any fixings used they should be tamper proof, such as shear nuts and bolts, to ensure that the integrity of the fence is maintained. Indeed anywhere that uses screws or bolts within the protected area should use security fasteners to prevent tampering. There is a lot to consider when securing a construction site and the different solutions available are mirrored by the ingenuity of the people trying to gain unlawful access. Do you have any tips on protecting plant and equipment?