Fuel theft was found to be one of the most common types of theft on construction sites, but how are you protecting yourself against this? Unlock our top tips here.
Did you know that fuel theft is one of the most common construction thefts faced by the industry?
It is estimated that it costs the industry around £1 million a week, including both the direct theft of fuel and indirect loss caused through project delays and increased insurance premiums.
But as fuel theft shows no signs of slowing down, we explore the reasons behind why the crime is extremely prevalent within construction and how you can prevent this from happening to you.
Why Does Construction Fuel Theft Happen?
There are several factors as to why fuel theft occurs commonly on construction sites:
- Large quantities of fuel - Construction sites often require large amounts of fuel, making them prime targets for thieves as this can bring big financial gain for them with minimal risk.
- Operation hours - Some construction sites will operate at all times of day meaning that monitoring the fuel storage units can be difficult to manage and criminals are aware of this.
- Economic factors - fuel prices are constantly changing, however, in recent years they have been on the rise, making it very enticing for thieves to steal fuel from construction sites for their own benefit.
Other issues including multiple contractors and a lack of security makes unauthorised access easier for criminals and once on-site the consequences of fuel theft can be devastating.
The Impact of Construction Fuel Theft on Projects
The main impact of construction fuel theft is the financial loss created from such crimes.
Without fuel, projects are unable to continue on schedule, therefore companies will be left paying increased rates or delivery fees to get fuel back on site.
This is likely to be more costly to you as a business than when first purchased due to the high demand and without comprehensive construction insurance could be disastrous.
The Long-Term Effects of Construction Fuel Theft
The long-term effects created through construction fuel theft go much deeper than the financial implications.
Any incident of fuel theft, especially repeated instances can suggest to clients, both existing and potential ones that you neglect your security which places the project at risk of delays and at worse incompletion.
Clients expect projects to be fulfilled within the specified deadline and if this does not occur due to theft, they may choose to cut ties during the project and not work with you in future on any other projects they may have.
This creates reputational damage which could impact your relationship with other businesses, in turn creating further loss of work and income.
In the worst case scenarios, your business may not be able to survive such crime long-term as without businesses looking to work with you, there is no guarantee on receiving a steady income stream.
How to Prevent Construction Fuel Theft From Happening to You
Fuel theft is costly to the project, your client and most importantly, your business, therefore not protecting it correctly is just a disaster waiting to happen.
With over 20-years experience in security services, we explore several ways you can prevent construction fuel theft from happening to you:
Implement Perimeter Security
Construction sites often span over vast spaces, meaning the perimeters of such sites are difficult to manage, offering multiple opportunities for criminals to access your site and commit fuel theft.
Most criminal activity begins on the external areas of your construction site, therefore protecting your perimeter should be your first priority to prevent your site from falling victim to this.
There are various ways that you can protect your perimeter, but two options often come out top for construction sites: CCTV and perimeter fencing.
Although fixed CCTV is not a viable option for most construction projects, mobile CCTV can work to effectively support your site against crime by deterring criminals and ensuring any active incidents are responded to appropriately.
Some advanced options such as our CCTV Towers are designed with the specific intention to deter, detect and deal with crime in an efficient manner.
Standing up to 6m tall and painted bright yellow, our Towers create a bold security presence that informs individuals that they are being monitored.
In addition to this, you can reinforce your perimeter security further through the use of fencing.
This helps to block the view of your site to any unauthorised individuals and creates a physical barrier that aims to deter any trespassing.
Although, as much as perimeter fencing is beneficial to your site’s security, alone there are still risks that individuals can climb over the fencing and access the premises with no backup to stop crime taking place.
Therefore it should always be used in conjunction with CCTV or other security tools to ensure maximised protection.
Use Secure Fuel Storage
To successfully steal fuel, criminals will need to penetrate the storage unit to retrieve the fuel from it. However, if you utilise a strong, secure material, this will make that extremely difficult for criminals.
Materials like steel and concrete are commonly used with fuel tanks due to regulation, but this also helps to prevent access.
These types of materials are trickier to penetrate and require much more effort from criminals if they wish to access it. This helps to deter crime as some will choose to avoid difficult targets like this and hedge their bets elsewhere.
Install Mobile CCTV On-Site
Often considered the best crime preventative measure across various industries, mobile CCTV can be used to deter, detect and capture crime at your construction site.
Due to their size, construction sites have many weak spots and if these are not covered by some form of monitoring system, criminals will be able to easily commit crimes such as fuel theft without fear of being caught.
With advanced mobile CCTV systems including our Domes and CCTV Towers, you would receive full site coverage via IR PTZ cameras that offer day-to-night monitoring and near 360 degree view.
This provides 24/7 expansive coverage that cannot be provided by security guards or perimeter fencing at an affordable cost to you.
Fuel theft can be costly to your company and the project, so ensuring you have the correct mobile CCTV system in place is vital to the security’s success.
We offer a fully-managed security service that covers all key surveillance areas for your construction site, from site surveys and camera placement advice to high-quality equipment and continuous technical support.
Criminals will use blindspots and dark spaces to access sites, but mobile CCTV can strip them of this concealment and even provide you with an efficient response to crime through a trigger system, if available with the manufacturer.
Restrict Access Through Cages, Strategic Placement and Barriers
Fuel will often be stored on-site in large containers or units, making it obvious to criminals where they would need to target.
Restricting access helps to lower that risk and prevent any unauthorised individuals from being able to steal fuel from your construction site.
There are three main tools that can be utilised to do this:
- Cages - You can place cages around the fuel storage unit. This helps to prevent access by covering the full unit whilst allowing authorised access through a secure entry point on the cage itself.
- Strategic Placement and Parking - Consider the placement of your fuel storage unit and ask yourself: Are there any safer or less visible places to keep it? You can also park any machinery or work vehicles around the storage unit overnight to restrict access to it.
- Barriers - Similar to using machinery and work vehicles to block access to the fuel storage unit, you can also implement barriers for more permanent support. These can be placed strategically around the unit to stop individuals from accessing without authorisation.
Enhance Your Security With Remote Monitoring
Even for construction sites with existing security systems, there are additional features that you should be looking for to boost your protection against fuel theft.
Remote monitoring works as a virtual security guard, detecting motion, assessing threats and responding in an appropriate, yet efficient manner. Whether it be through live voice-down audio warnings and flashing lights to contacting keyholders and the Police if needed.
Upgrading to a system that offers this ensures your security remains proactive and reactive, rather than working retrospectively so that you can prevent crime before it even happens.
For advanced protection, finding a service or system that uses NSI Gold Accredited security for support like this means you receive industry standard, high-quality trained professionals who will respond in instances of unauthorised access on-site.
Add an Alarm System
There will be occasions where unauthorised access could take place and where criminal deterrents have been unsuccessful.
In these moments, having further preventative measures and support could be the decider in whether your construction site fuel remains protected or not.
Installing an alarm system can offer various support depending on the type of alarm you use, however, the main functions that most construction sites would benefit from is the extra criminal deterrent factor provided and trigger system in place.
When unauthorised access takes place, alarm systems will sound a loud noise, siren, or pre-recorded/live message to further deter criminals from continuing with any illegal activities.
Some more advanced systems will also have a trigger system that when motion is detected will notify the relevant individuals and/or local Police.
For complete security, using a CCTV system with these types of features included is the best form of defence against crimes like fuel theft, as well as being more cost-effective for you as a business.
This avoids having to pay two separate suppliers for two different services.
Mobile Security Solutions: Fuelling the Future of Construction Site Surveillance
Construction fuel theft is a prominent issue which if left ignored could be costly to a project and the future of your business.
Fuelling yourself for the future means implementing a trusted, best-in-class security system to help prevent fuel theft, as well as other crimes commonly faced by the construction industry as a whole.
Established over 20-years ago, our company continues to develop new systems, services and support for customers, both existing and new to ensure the best protection.
Our CCTV Towers are designed specifically in mind to provide both criminal deterrence and live record events for future evidence, so you are covered at all points during an incident.
Don’t let your business become another victim of construction fuel theft and speak with one of our security experts today.
