Equipment theft tips for your work site

It’s no secret to anyone that there is a lot of expensive equipment on a work site and unfortunately, unfenced properties can sometimes fall victim to property theft or vandalism. Heavy equipment is twice as likely to succumb to theft as natural disaster and five times likelier to be stolen than in an auto accident. So how do you prevent that happening on your work site? The safety of not only workers but also the equipment is very important, so here are a few tips on how to keep equipment safe from vandals and thieves.

Keep records of all equipment It seems like a no brainer, but having a running inventory list of all equipment that is on site and its serial or identification or VIN number is crucial. If you don’t have an idea of what’s there, you will have a harder time determining if something has been stolen and if it is stolen, reporting it. Keep a photo inventory of your machinery, as well, to help identify it when it’s stolen. If it has any distinguishing marks (dents, scratches, etc.) on it that would help identify it, make a photo record of that as well. It would also help to keep a record of who has permission and qualifications to operate that piece of machinery.

Use nighttime cameras, motion detecting lights, etc. There are certain precautions that can be taken to prevent theft, including installing nighttime cameras and motion detecting lights. These come in especially handy if your worksite is in a remote area that thieves may target or in a high crime area. There are many different types of cameras that you can get to suit your needs from motion detecting cameras to nighttime cameras. You can also consider installing a light tower if you have a large work site with a lot of equipment to keep track of. The lights will help to deter thieves.

Law enforcement assistance If your worksite is in a high crime area or is in a remote area where there may be an increase in crime, you may consider hiring some night guards to patrol the area and keep an eye out for trespassers or thieves. If you are unable to hire your own security, you can talk with local law enforcement about adding your work site to their patrol area and increasing a police presence in the area to help deter possible thefts. Even if you hire your own security, it would be good to get them up to snuff on what the local police protocol is so they can assist in the event of an emergency.

Train workers on anti-theft procedures If your company has anti-theft procedures in place, make sure your crew is up to speed on what those are and are able and willing to perform those as necessary. Safety starts with you and your crew.

In the event that a theft does happen, report it immediately and work with local police to track down your equipment.