Construction Site CCTV: Common Questions Answered

FAQs about CCTV Cameras on Construction Sites

Installing CCTV cameras at a construction site is the most effective way to protect against theft, trespass, arson and vandalism.

The presence of CCTV coverage onsite acts as a visible deterrent, helping to prevent criminal activity before it occurs. The cameras can also be used to capture video evidence to assist with criminal investigations and retrospective reviews. 

The process of choosing the best CCTV system for your projects can be a confusing one, and you may have several questions about capabilities and appropriateness.

To assist, WCCTV has put together a helpful guide to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about construction site security cameras. Our experience comes from over 20 years of providing managed CCTV systems to secure some of the UK's highest-profile construction projects.  

1. We have no internet connection at our site; how can we access our CCTV cameras?

Lack of internet connection onsite is one of the most common challenges faced by construction companies looking to install CCTV cameras.

The majority of sites won't have fixed internet lines, and the cost and inconvenience of installing them just to run CCTV cameras is prohibitive.

To overcome this, WCCTV specialised in supplying rapid deployment CCTV Towers with inbuilt 4G technology. This allows our customers to access their cameras from anywhere at any time, instantly. 

We provide our mobile viewing software free of charge and completely unlicensed. This includes smartphone and tablet apps and a range of solutions for laptops and PCs.  

2. What happens if the 4G network drops out? Will we lose our footage? 

It is rare for the mobile network to drop out or completely fail, but it is a possibility.

If the network covering your construction site does drop off, you will not lose any footage captured by your WCCTV camera nor will you miss any incidents that occur during the outage.

Our rapid deployment CCTV Towers contain onboard storage - up to 4TB - so if the network drops, your cameras will keep recording until you can reconnect and review/download the footage. 

3. We have no power onsite; how can we install CCTV cameras?

Lack of fixed or reliable onsite power is another frequent challenge faced by construction companies looking to install CCTV.

To overcome this challenge, WCCTV has developed a range of autonomously powered CCTV Towers to meet the requirements of different sites: 

• WCCTV Eco Site Tower- contains a long-run 150hr battery allowing generator shutdown at nights/weekends.

• WCCTV Solar Tower - features a high-performance solar panel to extend the run time of a WCCTV Fuel Cell Tower

4. We have nowhere to mount a CCTV Camera; how can we secure our site?

Construction sites are constantly developing, and it's possible there will be times where you won't have anywhere to mount a CCTV camera. 

WCCTV's rapid deployment Dome Cameras mount to a pole or building using a standard bracket attachment. But, if you have nothing like this on site, then WCCTV's CCTV Towers are the ideal solution. 

Our CCTV Towers are self-contained all-in-one surveillance solutions that can be installed and operational on your sites in a matter of minutes. 

The video below outlines how these systems work:

5. How can we ensure the whole site is protected?

All of WCCTV's CCTV systems feature pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) capability, allowing you to focus the cameras on particularly vulnerable areas of the site.

They also have a 'tour' function, where the camera will automatically pan between pre-set views of your site. 

One of the key benefits of using WCCTV to provide Construction Site Security CCTV cameras is that our cameras are specifically designed for rapid deployment and portability. All of our CCTV systems are easy to move around your sites as they develop without the need for re-cabling or re-wiring. 

6. Will the cameras work at night?

Most construction sites will lack either a fixed or ambient lighting facility for night times.

To overcome this challenge, all WCCTV's cameras contain infrared (IR) capability. IR allows for video recording and intruder detection in low light and zero light.

WCCTV's cameras feature “Smart IR” that automatically adjusts the illumination intensity of the infrared LEDs based on the proximity of objects (such as people) approaching the camera. 

A WCCTV security camera captured each image below between 2 am - 4 am on job sites with zero ambient lighting. In each case, the intruder was arrested or deterred from the site.    

7. I don't have time to manage CCTV, how can I be sure my site is protected? 

This is a challenge we hear of a lot. You have your own job to do; having to manage site security and CCTV cameras on top of your daily activities can seem like more work than you can handle. 

At WCCTV, we have specifically developed our Managed CCTV Services to make using our CCTV cameras as easy as possible by providing a step-by-step process that removes or reduces your workload and ensures the cameras deliver the right results every time. 

Our state-of-the-art electronic security technology is backed by a service that includes equipment installation, alarm monitoring, maintenance and ongoing technical support. Click the link below to see how we help take the stress out of securing your sites.

8. We're only on-site for a few months at a time; can we rent the cameras rather than buy them?

Absolutely, we understand that construction projects only need temporary security solutions and that you will likely have different security requirements at each site you work on. 

While we fully believe all construction sites can benefit from CCTV cameras,  we want the process of using our security services to be as easy and flexible as possible. That's why you can rent them month by month, and off-hire them at the end of the project. 

Renting CCTV cameras also offers many benefits. Deploy only the cameras you need, manage your security spend, and be assured that you're always using the latest technology. 

Managed CCTV Cameras for Construction Site Security 

WCCTV is the UK's leading provider of fully managed construction site security solutions. 

We supply our own manufactured CCTV products backed by a comprehensive service covering site survey, installation, maintenance, alarm monitoring, response and monthly reporting.

Our rapid-deployment CCTV systems provide construction sites with multi-application benefits, including theft prevention, Time Lapse Video recording and remote project management.

Whether you have on-site power or not, we can provide our CCTV systems, and they all contain 4G transmission. So they are completely autonomous solutions.

Ready to find out how Rapid Deployment CCTV can assist with site security? Get in touch today on 0800 470 4630 or request a call back