How To Protect Your Construction Site During Covid-19 Lockdown

The UK is facing an unprecedented and unexpected lockdown as a response to the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Although there has not been any official instruction from the government to include construction sites in the lockdown; many construction firms have taken it upon themselves to make the decision to shut down their construction sites, for the safety of their staff.

This may not be the case for every construction site, but having a contingency plan is critical in preparing for this transition. To prepare for what may be an eventual nationwide closure of all non-essential construction sites, we recommend having a strategic construction site security plan in place.

In this article, we discuss the security solutions to consider implementing while your construction site remains unoccupied due to the coronavirus crisis, in order to ensure your site and assets are protected against common crimes.

CCTV and wireless video detection for loss prevention

Construction sites can hold many assets that have high monetary value, ensuring that a risk assessment is conducted to minimise loss – and prepare for all worst-case scenarios – is a critical part in protecting your construction site and choosing the best security solutions.

One of the most common security measures is using CCTV and wireless video detection. As the risk of theft occurring on your site increases when the property becomes unoccupied, having CCTV cameras visible will give the appearance that the site is under surveillance at all times, this acts as an effective deterrent to potential thieves as well as having the security footage on hand should you require it for an investigation or future records.

Similarly, wireless video detection is another proficient measure for loss prevention. It is a much more sophisticated system compared to traditional alarms as it combines CCTV technology with the sensors. It works by notifying the authorities or your assigned security officer if a sensor has been activated and includes a video clip of what could have potentially set-off the alarm. This type of system is important as any false alarms set off by animals, or inanimate objects can be identified and time is not wasted, nor are response officers sent out, if they are not required to.

Having visible signage of the presence of these security systems on your site will likely make thieves think twice about stealing.

Access control to avoid trespassers

The last thing you want, while your site is on lockdown, is to return and find that your site has been subject to vandalism or become a residing location for squatters. Having an access control system in place will allow only authorised personnel to enter your site and avoid trespassers accessing the empty site. Access control will reduce the likelihood of damages from vandalism or arson on your site and limit other types of construction site crimes taking place.

Another important point to consider is your legal liability if someone injures themselves on your site. This is still true in the case of a trespasser, so to protect your legal responsibility, you should have these preventions in place to avoid intruders and trespassers.

Fire alarm systems for fire prevention

Early detection is vital in preventing fires from creating a lot of damage on your unoccupied site. Installing wireless construction site fire alarm systems can help prevent a fire from spreading to your entire site and its surrounding areas.

The Millennium Security’s fire alarm systems works as a linked system that communicates to a single control panel. This provides advance warnings can tell you exactly which call-point has been activated, which one is running low on battery power and whether any have become disconnected.

Having a system such as this is critical during the COVID-19 lockdown as it requires human intervention only when needed. Lessening the need for staff to be on-site when not required.

Construction sites that are currently out of use due to COVID-19 will still be home to building materials, machinery and expensive equipment which unfortunately provides for an opportunity that thieves will want to exploit.

Taking the appropriate steps to make sure your site is secure will be a worthwhile investment for what can be more time and financially consuming consequence if construction site security is not initially put into place.

Call us today on 01234 825 522, to discuss the best construction security measures for your site.