Security Tips Through The Seasons

While it is essential to keep your site protected throughout the entire year, a significant number of site owners make the mistake of assuming that the same security measures are to be applied month-on-month. However, as the seasons change, so too should your security procedures.

Here, we discuss how site owners can create a versatile security plan which takes into consideration the correct season-specific measures needed to ensure adequate protection year-round.

Spring

Although the cold, dark winter nights are over, that doesn’t mean your on-site health and safety and security standards should take a back-burner. Spring does bring a warmer climate, but there still tends to be a fair amount of rain, which can affect the quality of any security systems you may have installed, particularly older models with wires attached. As such, it might be worth investing in the latest wireless video cameras and CCTV systems for your construction site, which means the wires will not get wet and thus stop working as a result.

Health and safety is another major issue when the UK Spring arrives, since the potential damage to on-site tools and equipment caused by excessive rain can be problematic for workers. Site managers should plan ahead in order to protect the site and its staff by evaluating the risks specific to each site, as well as carefully securing equipment so that it is safe from flooding. Structures can also be securely tied down, and those working in wet weather should wear the correct waterproof clothing and protective gear, particularly footwear with enough grip to prevent slipping over.

For added protection, installing wireless construction site fire alarms to safeguard against a potential fire hazard caused by live wires or electrical cables getting wet, is highly recommended.

Summer

During the British summer, more and more people are out and about enjoying the sunshine and the late evenings. This could mean that a construction site, particularly if in a public area, is more at-risk of unwanted members of the public (including curious children) entering the area without authority to do so.

In order to protect yourself, it is worth investing in the latest access control systems, which ensure that only those with authorised access can enter a construction site. This helps prevent accidents from taking place when unauthorised people enter a site out-of-hours, as well as adding an extra level of security against theft, arson or vandalism.

Autumn

With the onset of darker evenings, autumn is as good a time as ever to check that your construction site lighting is in good working order. As you may not have been making use of onsite lighting during the summer months, it is important to test these out and get a maintenance engineer in to replace the bulbs if need be.

After summer, it is sensible to cut back any shrubs, plants or weeds that may have grown over your CCTV cameras, obscuring footage. This is important since trespassers are less likely to attempt to enter if they can clearly see a CCTV camera visible.

Winter

With winter in full-swing, the days are shorter and the nights are darker, which is why excellent construction site lighting is essential. It is a well-known fact that criminals are more likely to strike when it is dark outside, as they feel they are less likely to be spotted. Poor lighting can, therefore, make your site a greater target, as well as affecting the performance of your CCTV cameras and the quality of any footage they are able to capture.

The UK Winter also tends to bring with it poor, often unpredictable weather conditions. As such, installing weather-versatile CCTV cameras that have the ability to handle rain, wind and anything else, is wise.

Furthermore, a large majority of construction projects will close down over the Christmas period, which creates additional security challenges. As there are likely to only be a small number (if any) staff present on site, it is important to ensure the site is locked down properly during the holidays. Equipment must be stored in safe places, ideally away from the site itself, whilst heavy machinery which will remain on site should be securely fixed to prevent theft or misuse.

If you require round-the-clock protection during the winter shut-down period, you can hire a SIA-licensed security guard to watch the site and act as a deterrent to any trespassers. Alternatively, high-quality wireless video and CCTV systems provide 24/7 protection without having to be physically present.

Above all, be sure to check your security systems are in good working order all year-round, through regular routine checks and maintenance updates carried out by professionals.