Guest blog by Madina Azamy
Equipment and material theft is an increasing problem in the construction industry – specifically good quality, expensive tools and machinery that are easy to conceal once stolen. Companies are incurring the loss of equipment and materials and also the costs required to replace tools and make insurance claims. There is also the issue of downtime that which results in lack of revenue and industry reputation.
The market for construction equipment and material theft is driven by multiple factors including; the lack of surveillance on sites, particularly at night and during weekends, the easy accessibility thieves have to sites, and the value of materials, machinery, tools and equipment left on sites.
In order to minimise theft from your site, it is important to invest in secure storage that ensures your equipment, tools and material are under lock and key.
Effective storage solutions include:
- Site Storage Cages
A quality mesh welded site storage cage (sometimes called rubbish cages) is an inexpensive option for construction sites that feature bi-folding lids that can be locked to keep your construction site equipment, tools and materials secure. In comparison to traditional storage units, storage cages are a much more economical option with the added benefit of flat packing storage cages for ease of transportation and storage.
- Create Your Own Custom Storage Enclosures
If you’re feeling creative, why not try your hand at creating lockable enclosures made from temporary fencing products that suit your site needs. You can find a range of temp fence panel styles and sizes, as well as accessories such as feet and clamps. Custom storage enclosures are ideal for large machinery as they can be made to fit your equipment perfectly. Custom storage Enclosures are made from the highest quality galvanised steel and welded mesh that can be also locked externally to keep your construction site equipment, tools and materials secure.
- Shipping Containers
Shipping containers are one of the most common methods construction companies use to keep tools and materials secure on a construction site. Shipping containers come in all different shapes and sizes to suit any construction site and can be hired or bought. Some shipping containers are customised with special racks to store piping and other lengthy materials. Shipping containers can be locked to keep your construction site equipment, tools and materials secure.
- Heavy Duty Lockable Cabinets
Heavy duty lockable cabinets are similar to shipping containers but are suited to smaller tools and materials on your construction site. For added security choose a cabinet with an electronic locking mechanism that requires a key card or code lock, this increases overall security. Heavy duty lockable cabinets are an efficient method to secure your tools and are easily transferred from site to site using vehicles or trailers.
- Lock-up Tool Boxes on Your Vehicle/Pick-up Truck
Although this article is about storage solutions onsite, sometimes the best option is to minimise risk completely and take the tools off site.
Many tradespeople choose to invest in quality, heavy duty lockable compartments for their pick-up or van to store equipment in. This option is ideal for trade workers who don’t want to leave equipment and tools at a construction site, but still need them secured when they are working onsite.
A good quality lockable toolbox is close to impossible to break into, and can feature central locking and security cameras as well as GPS tracking to ensure that your equipment, tools and materials are secure from being targeted.
Author bio: This article was written by Madina Azamy from The Temporary Fencing Shop, specialists in all temp fencing products and temporary pool fencing across Australia.
