Steps to take after your Construction Site has Been Robbed

Looking after your construction equipment can be a lot tougher than you may first imagine. Because of this, you should always do as much as you can to make sure your construction site is as secure as it can possibly be. The construction industry is currently bleeding money all around the world because of construction site theft, with the UK losing around 400 million pounds per year as a result of this.

If you turn up to your construction site one morning to find that equipment is gone and you have been the unfortunate victim of a robbery, here are the top four things to remember:

Call the police

One of the first things that you must do when you discover you have been robbed is to pick up your phone and alert the proper authorities straight away. It is also important to make sure that you, yourself, are safe, as the perpetrators may still be within the confines of the construction site and could possibly be violent. Find somewhere safe to wait until the police turn up, and when they arrive, provide them with as much information as you can.

Document Everything

Take a little while to document each room or area in your construction site. The big items that are missing should be obvious, but there may be various smaller items missing that you might forget about. Also, grab pen and paper and write down what you can remember about time frames, and note what’s missing or broken and anything else you can think of regarding the incident. Do this as soon as possible because your memory may cloud as time passes. This is all useful information the police can use to find the thieves.

Secure the site

Wait for the OK from both the police and your insurance agent before cleaning up or fixing broken entryways. As you go about this process, review what construction site security measures you have in place and if you need to make changes. If you suspect thieves have stolen spare keys, change your locks right away.

Don’t touch anything

Some thieves wear gloves, but not all of them do. Try not to touch any equipment or anything around the construction site. Fingerprints are powerful prosecutors, but they are delicate and can easily be destroyed. Until police have given you they okay to do so, don’t touch anything. Make police aware if you find something that may belong to the burglar, but don’t touch it.

Being broken in to can be a traumatising experience, even if it isn’t your home that’s been broken in to. The robbery could set your work back by months depending on what has been stolen, and you may end up losing money from the process. Make sure you do everything you can to prevent construction site theft, including on-site cameras and manned security guards, and then all you can do is hope that it won’t happen to you.