Construction site security has always been challenging. Many sites holding valuable assets, from plant machinery to building materials and supplies. Ensuring you have effective security controls in-place is often at the top of the list when setting up a new building site. So how can you effectively protect against vandalism, theft and damage?
We explore 5 of the most popular options used for construction site security.
- Perimeter Fence Line Security
- Site Access Control
- Wireless Camera Detection System
- Rapid Deployment CCTV Towers
- SIA Licensed Security Officers
Perimeter Fence Line Security
A clear perimeter for your site is essential not only for site safety, but also for the continued security of your site. With a variety of perimeter fencing options available, finding the right fit for your site is essential for ensuring the risk of unauthorised entry, theft and vandalism are minimised.
The UK’s Security and Resilience Industry Suppliers Community (RISC) recommends construction sites install site perimeter security of at least 2.4 metres high.
Site Access Control
As with any premises containing valuable assets, access control should play a key part in your site security plan. There are two main considerations when planning for access control – electronic or gatehouse controlled.
Electronic construction site access control is fast becoming one of the most popular options for site managers looking to introduce an efficient, reliable and cost-effective method of access control to their site. These systems feature temporary turnstiles that sit on the entry and egress points of your site, allowing entry to authorised personnel only.
By adding the authentication procedure to your site based inductions, they also act as a valuable health and safety control – ensuring only personnel who have received their full induction may enter the site.
If your site can’t accommodate an electronic access control system, gatehouse access control should act as a key factor in your site security planning. By setting out clear sign-in / sign-out procedures access and egress to site is controlled manually.
An additional level of control would be the option of a manned security presence covering light and dark hours on-site. You can read more about the benefits of SIA licensed security officers later in this article.
Wireless Camera Detection Systems
Wireless camera detection systems have been around for a number of years. They are a cost-effective and reliable deterrent, operating on long-life batteries allowing for off-grid remote security. These systems are ideal for projects where running reliable power to the perimeter fence of your site is not possible.
The systems work by creating an onsite camera network that connects back to the central control receiver. The receiver is then connected to a 3G / 4G mobile network, allowing it to send video alerts and static images to a remote monitoring station.
While these systems do not have the ability to record continuously, they often take video clips of up to 10 seconds in length – allowing for quick verification of a potential threat. The cameras are alarmed using PIR (passive infrared) sensors, detecting movement on-site.
Once the video clip or image of any potential threat has been submitted to the monitoring station for verification, the relevant key holders can be contacted to respond. Another important factor to consider on any construction site security plan is the key holder response plan.
To avoid you or your employees attending a site during dark hours, you should always consider using an SIA approved contractor for key holding and alarm response services.
Rapid Deployment CCTV Towers
An alternative to wireless camera detection systems are rapid deployment CCTV camera towers. These towers have been specifically designed with quick deployment in-mind and are ideal for construction site CCTV.
Unlike the wireless detection systems above, the CCTV towers offer continuous video recording via a PTZ camera head and can be extended for use with a number of static bullet cameras. Using an in-built 3G / 4G connection, these towers are connected to a monitoring station.
The monitoring station receive alarm output from the PIR sensor fixed to the camera towers, and have real time access to video footage. If a threat is identified on the site, the operator can issue verbal warnings via the loudspeaker to deter the intruder.
If the system alone does not scare off the intruder, the monitoring station can then contact the key holders and police as necessary.
SIA Licensed Security Officers
A physical guarding presence has long been the preferred option for many construction companies when looking to secure their sites. Knowing that you have a trained SIA licensed security officer on-site can often be reassuring for project or site managers, as there is always someone to respond to threats as they arise.
Common coverage for manned construction site security are 84-hour, 108-hour and 168-hour guarding patterns. If you would like to know more about common security guarding shift patterns and coverage, we go into a little more detail about common security guarding patterns in our advice centre post: Security Guarding Shift Patterns & Coverage Hours.
