Tips for safety at building sites

Owner builders and contractors are cautioned about security on their sites as theft can occur quickly and go unnoticed amid all of the activity.

Martin Kriel, Managing Director of ADT Security’s East Coast Region said one method criminals do use is to blend in with employees on busy construction sites. He had this advice for contractors or homeowners to avoid this kind of trouble:
– Assign one person to keep track of temporary employees, or those who are taken on for the day, so that outsiders can immediately be identified.
– Keep a record of the full identity details of each person working on the site.
– If the building work will span longer than a few months, consider a fence and installing security lights around the property.
– Encourage employees to keep the site neat so that anything out of place or missing will be noticed immediately.
– Plan the delivery of building materials close to the time of their use so that they do not stand on-site for too long.
– Valuable or high cost items must be delivered only if they can be installed on the same day and secured.
– Advise your security services provider or neighbourhood watch that there will be building activity at your property and make sure that site managers have emergency contact numbers on hand.

In closing Kriel suggested that if a security guard will be employed to keep watch at the site overnight, it is a good idea to introduce them to the local neighbourhood watch and for them to exchange contact details.