Take an Integrated Approach to Construction Site Security

“Good decision making around the best mix of security measures to deploy at your construction site is your best defence against theft” says FIRST Security’s GM Strategic Accounts, Brian Switalla.

 

While dairies and jewellery stores have been battling the wave of ram raids and smash and grabs that have become so much a feature of 2022, the construction industry has been hit recently by a spate of Gib burglaries.

And not just Gib, but copper, tools, machinery, batteries, fuel, even work vehicles. In May, thieves in Wainuiomata even achieved a curious ‘double’ when they stole an excavator from a construction site and used it to ram raid a nearby service station.

What’s been a clear takeaway from these incidents is that the thieves’ tactics are both well practiced and brazen. So much so that good fencing, bright lighting, CCTV coverage, or security patrols in isolation are just not going to deter or defeat them. What will stop them is the right mix of multiple security measures.

What’s needed, in other words, is an ‘integrated’ approach that picks and chooses from the broad range of available security measures, including:

1. Plans & Procedures
2. Physical Barriers
3. Technology
4. People

 

Plans & Procedures

In the same way that you have plans and procedures around Health & Safety, it goes without saying that you should also have them for security. They serve similar purposes, including getting your employees and contractors on the same page in relation to protecting themselves and their equipment.

As the saying goes, ‘preparation prevents poor performance’, and well-developed security plans and procedures help you to be on the security front foot. Ensure your personnel are well versed in expectations around security awareness, checking in/out, contractor management, and incident and emergency management, etc.

Physical Barriers

Perimeter fences, gates, and cages are the most visible indicators of a site’s security. While their presence can serve as a strong deterrent to thieves, poorly maintained fencing and poorly secured gates may have the opposite effect.

And while we’re on the topic of visibility, bear in mind that thieves tend to be turned off by the prospect of being seen, so a good lighting solution can be worth its weight in gold.

Technology

Security technologies include intrusion detection systems, alarms, CCTV, access control, and visitor management systems. These technologies tend to be most effective when they’re monitored – either onsite, by an offsite monitoring centre, or remotely via a browser/app-based solution.

An excellent example of this is VirtualGuard by FIRST Security. Faster than traditional alarm response and cheaper than static guards, this as-a-service solution involves the deployment of a portable pole mounted solar-powered camera system to a customer site, which is monitored by a guard in a control centre 24/7.

People

As part of an integrated security solution, security personnel are an important security measure, not least because they can play a key role in ensuring that all aspects of the solution – procedural, physical, technological, and human – are working well together.

Security personnel can provide static guarding, mobile patrols, alarm monitoring and response, and incident response services. They are more than just boots on the ground, observing, reporting, and responding when needed.

FIRST Security is trusted to provide security guarding and patrol services for a diverse range of sites across the country. Our officers are trained in detecting risks, threats, and suspicious behaviour, responding to incidents, de-escalating potential conflict situations, and in operating site management and security systems.