UK Construction site theft costs around £800 million a year in losses, but this is not the only shocking statistic. We explore some other key stats surrounding this nationwide issue.
The construction industry faces an upward battle against numerous security risks they are faced with on a regular basis.
However, with reports of crime on the increase, construction sites cannot continue to take on the burden of such crimes, whether that be the financial loss or reputational damage.
We explore the true depth of construction site theft, revealing surprising statistics and the steps you can take to protect yourself against this.
Why Are Construction Sites at High-Risk to Theft?
Theft, vandalism and arson remain a persistent challenge for the construction industry, however, construction theft is the most common crime they are faced with.
Often containing valuable materials such as metal, timber, tools and machinery, all left on display, construction sites offer plenty of opportunities for thieves to get their hands on.
Their large space and general lack of security provides thieves with a peace of mind that elsewhere would not be available via other industries.
Additionally, over recent years factors such as inflation, material shortages and increased construction levels have caused price increases in tools and materials, placing construction sites under pressure further.
And the impact of theft is more than just the cost of stolen equipment or material. Those items need to be replaced, which has a time impact on your project, resulting in lost productivity, delays and work stoppages.
You may also have to inform insurance companies, which can be time-consuming and lead to your construction site’s insurance facing increased premiums.
Construction Site Theft Statistics
As much as hearing all the dangers related to construction site theft is concerning and the fact this is increasing, seeing the statistics tends to be when it hits home.
And you may be surprised by some of the key statistics we managed to find.
The insurer Allianz Cornhill revealed that theft costs the industry £800 million annually.
Digging deeper into this shocking statistic, the report also highlights a number of other key takeaways:
- 92% of UK construction site managers report they have been affected by theft.
- 1 in 5 construction sites across the UK is targeted by thieves every week.
- 91% of UK construction site managers have experienced vandalism on their construction sites.
- Over 7,000 metal-related thefts were recorded every month in 2021.
- Plant machinery has less than a 10% recovery rate following a robbery.
Other research from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) provide additional insight into the widespread issue of construction site theft:
- Over 90% of respondents said they are affected by construction site theft on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.
- 20% of these respondents face weekly cases of construction site theft.
- 20.3% of those surveyed estimated that the total cost of crime to their construction site/company each year was between £10,001 to £50,000.
- Tools, small plants and building materials were all noted as some of the most stolen goods from construction sites.
These statistics show the shocking truth construction sites face, including yours.
How to Avoid Construction Site Theft
Ask yourself this question, would you rather prevent crime before it happens or work retrospectively to resolve the crime?
The answer is easy, and at WCCTV, we work with prevention at the forefront of our products and the security service they are backed by.
Having previously published our own Comprehensive Guide to Construction Site Security, we have gained insight throughout our years of service in the unique challenges the industry is faced with and how to tackle these.
In supporting various construction companies and projects, we have found the most effective system to be Mobile CCTV backed by a fully-managed security service.
However, we recognise that while cameras are incredibly effective, there are several basic measures construction sites can take to tighten security. These measures include:
Install fencing
Fences make it difficult for opportunist thieves to access your sites outside of hours.
They also help to restrict the view of your construction site to members of the public and any criminals looking to scope it out for high-value materials or assess its security level.
You can enhance their effectiveness by utilising fence coverings to help restrict the view for them even further. This will reduce the likelihood of an opportunist burglary.
However, it is recommended that fencing should not be used as a sole security measure due to its vulnerabilities such as being unable to monitor or record events and that criminals can still scale it to access the site.
Locking Away Valuable Tools or Materials
Hiding or locking away valuable materials and tools at the end of each shift prevents thieves from getting an easy ride and could save you thousands of dollars.
This may be more difficult to do for large plant machinery, however, in these instances you could place them in storage units or find a way to secure them to the ground.
It’s surprising how costly one mistake can be and you don’t want to be the one who falls victim to this.
Install Temporary Lighting
Installing lighting can help deter thieves by removing that security of their identity remaining concealed.
The best form of lighting to use is motion sensor lighting whereby it only activates when movement is detected.
This means your equipment, materials and machinery are not lit up and on display to everyone at all times, but when movement is detected, they will activate, startle the criminal and most likely prevent the crime.
However, just remember that any lights you install are positioned in a way that does not obscure any security cameras you have in place as if you place them too closely, this can disrupt the quality of monitoring and footage gathered.
Track all materials
Keeping a running inventory of all deliveries in and out will help you know precisely what equipment and materials are on-site.
Remember to have a paper trail recorded for every item from the point of order right through from the delivery to the implementation of it.
Install Mobile CCTV Cameras
Often considered the best all-round security solution for construction sites, Mobile CCTV provides a portable, power autonomous and cost-effective security service that can monitor, deter and record any incidents onsite.
Some manufacturers like ourselves even offer rental options for Mobile CCTV, which allows them to remain flexible to your construction project.
Fully-Managed CCTV Systems for Remote Site Security
WCCTV is the UK's leading provider of fully-managed CCTV systems for temporary and remote construction sites.
We supply our own manufactured CCTV Towers supported by a comprehensive service that includes a site survey, equipment installation, regular maintenance, remote video monitoring, proactive response and monthly reporting.
Due to their complete power autonomy, we can provide our CCTV systems regardless of your onsite power and internet availability. This ensures that those in even the most remote construction locations don’t need to skimp on the quality of their security.
Construction site theft is only growing in severity, and ignoring the issue will only place you at further risk.
Ready to find out how Rapid Deployment CCTV can work for you? Get in touch today at 0800 470 4630 or request a call back
