Crime at both residential and industrial building sites in Melbourne is a serious problem, with significant financial and reputational costs to businesses. The risks range from opportunistic thieves to organised crime.
There’s been a string of construction site crimes in Melbourne. Some examples are: A criminal broke into a construction site located in south east of Melbourne, he stole excavator and started riding the excavator on the roads, he caused significant damage to a medical centre fence which was located on the corner of Stanley Street & beach road. Similarly, another event happened on July 20th, 2022, two covering their faces stole $20,000 worth of copper from a construction building site located in East Melbourne.
Theft of tools is also common, with thieves stealing tens of thousands worth of tools from Melbourne construction sites. The cost of tool theft is more expensive than simply replacing the stolen item. While replacement is a hardship, and the loss of time can’t be ignored, tool theft can slow down the job, and cause an increase in insurance premiums.
The delay caused by theft can dry up your income stream completely. What do you do when you don’t have the tools or materials you need to complete the build? Nothing. And your client won’t like that. Theft could cause you to lose the contract completely.
What can Melbourne construction businesses do to protect their workers, clients, and assets? How can they stop themselves from becoming just another number? We’ll take you through some actionable options to help protect building sites from crime, from installing CCTV to hiring a Melbourne security service.
Hire or purchase CCTV cameras for the site
CCTV systems allow you to monitor your building site. However, we’ve all seen CCTV footage where criminals brazenly commit crimes, fully aware that they’re being recorded. While there is certainly value in CCTV footage, as you can pass the evidence along to authorities, by the time you have the footage of the incident, the financial damage is already done.
If you install a CCTV system on-site, make sure you display signage to advertise that these cameras exist – this may help to deter some opportunistic thieves.
Install fencing and lighting
Fencing and lighting are all about risk minimisation. Fencing is another crime deterrent, and temporary lighting on the front and footpath area of the site can increase safety for workers – especially in the foundation stage where street lighting may not be active.
Protect Your Tools and Materials
Mark your materials, machinery, hand tools, and power tools to prove ownership. Label your materials with the company/builder’s name or the building lot number. Also make sure that you keep an insurance record of identifying features, serial numbers, and purchase details. This won’t stop crime, but it will help you recover if you become a victim of construction site crime.
Try to coordinate your deliveries of goods and materials to line up with when they’re due to be installed – don’t just leave them lying around. Expensive items like timber, white goods, and copper, can be stolen when left unattended and uninstalled on-site.
Find Melbourne Security Guards for Hire
Several studies focusing on construction site crime found that equipment stolen was typically last seen on a Friday, and then found missing on Monday, suggesting that theft took place over a weekend when the equipment was left unattended.
Hiring a security guard in Melbourne to safeguard a building site means that there is someone on-site as a deterrent. While CCTV is a visual deterrent, a Melbourne security guard is a visual and physical deterrent, and can actively prevent individuals from damaging, vandalising, or stealing on your construction site. Security guards can make sure the perimeter is secure, doors and windows are locked, and everything is where it should be. They react in real-time to your security concerns – there’s no need to wait to analyse the footage.
Use a Melbourne Security Company to create a tailored security plan for your business
Is this all feeling overwhelming? Do you want someone to take the pressure off you so that you can focus on your business? Hiring a security company in Melbourne is the most comprehensive way of increasing protection at your construction site. They can be brought on board at any stage of the building process – from pre-construction to handover. Security companies in Melbourne such as Safezone Security can create and implement a tailored plan for your business, which includes security guards and high-value asset protection. A great security company can take charge and responsibility for the safety of your site and employees.
If you’re based in Melbourne or Regional Victoria, Safezone Security can take the stress out of your security solutions. Safezone Security will work with you to provide security services to your Melbourne-based building site. Contact us today for a free consultation and quote.
Safezone Security is a Melbourne Security Company that offers a tailored solution for all your construction site security needs and is ready to offer support 24/7. Security guards trained by Safezone hold a white card, First Aid Certificate, and an active security license, equipping them to safeguard your construction site. Don’t become another statistic of Melbourne construction site crime – contact Safezone Security today.
