Tips To Improve Construction Site Security

Good planning can help to assure construction site security. 

Equipment and material theft is a major source of loss for contractors. While insurance may offset some of the financial costs, many uninsured costs – deductibles, replacing depreciated items with new equipment, production delays, paperwork and time to report and replace stolen equipment – are paid by contractors.

General contractors and subcontractors can benefit from these tips to improve site security:

Create a job site security plan

Before the project commences, have a written security policy and a security plan specific to the job site.

Assign supervisory security responsibilities

Encourage security awareness among all workers. Contact the local police and fire departments before starting a job to establish cooperative efforts. Establish contact with management of neighboring properties and encourage them to report suspicious activities.

Identify assets and property onsite

Continue to inventory and track them regularly.

Secure the site perimeter

Proper fencing is a first line of defense and maintain a clear zone adjacent to fencing.

Lock up all important items

Secure all materials, vehicles and equipment and install hidden kill switches to disable ignitions.

Control site access

Establish – and monitor – only one access point. Consider limiting vehicle access. Provide parking areas outside of the site for employees and visitors.

Light up the job site

Adding light will help to effectively deter theft and vandalism.

Ask employees and subcontractors to also take responsibility

Extra eyes help secure the site and to immediately report any incidents of theft or vandalism.

Consider using security guards

Have them patrol the site and provide them with a means of communication.

Consider installing a video monitoring system

This allows you to capture vehicle traffic entering and exiting the site.

You can address most of these controls by updating procedures. To help with the rest, consider using a security company that offers instant, portable, wireless monitoring for theft, fire, flood, motion, temperature extremes and more.

For more information about job site security or other construction-related issues, contact your local independent agent for loss control information, or learn more about our Construction Management Loss Control Program.

This loss control information is advisory only. Not all exposures are in this article. Contact your local, independent agent for insurance coverage advice and loss control information. Neither The Cincinnati Insurance Company nor its affiliates or representatives offer legal advice. Consult with your attorney about your specific situation.

The selection of a particular service provider is the independent choice of the policyholder. Service providers are not affiliated with The Cincinnati Insurance Companies. Cincinnati and its employees make no warranties and assume no liability for services, products or loss control measures provided by service providers.