1. Use Appropriate Lighting

Always install appropriate security lighting along the site perimeter and around areas that are known to harbour valuable equipment. If possible have a professional security consultant survey your site at the start of the project to define areas that should take priority as far as security lighting is concerned.

2. Secure Equipment

This may sound obvious; however, experience has taught us that a fair number of thefts have been the result of unsecured equipment left lying around in open sight. It is therefore essential that site equipment and tools are locked away preferably in an area with restricted access when not in use.

3. Secure Your Perimeter

Installing a 6 – 8 foot fence will be your first line of defence and intruders will have an extra obstacle to getting in to the site premises. It is also advisable to keep at least 5 clear feet on both sides of the fence so intruders are not aided by construction site objects to climb in or out of the site.

4. Post Security Signage

Once your fence is up, place illuminated security warning signs along the site perimeter to deter potential intruders. Security signage is normally provided at no extra cost to you by security service providers as part of the service and will strategically place them near predetermined hot spots.

5. Opt For a Static Guard

Static guards have for long been used and in some cases with dogs to secure small to medium-sized sites that are relatively easy to patrol. Always seek an approved security provider who will supply an SIA licenced static guard along with free patrol monitoring technology for your added peace of mind.

6. Consider CCTV Remote Monitoring

Remotely monitored CCTV cameras have found their way into the construction site security arena and are now the preferred choice for many project managers. Not only are they cheaper than manned guards but offer more proactive and preventative solutions among other advantages.

7. Have a Security Plan

Most construction companies now plan for their security and contact prospective providers well before the project starts. This usually eliminates any systems deployment difficulties like cabling ducts and power supply issues.

1. Security Industry Standards

It is always a good idea to go for a company that provides the service to the appropriate security industry standards as they do the basic health checks for you and help you confirm a company’s credibility as far their in-house policies and procedures are concerned.

2. Own 24/7 Control Room

Service providers that have their own control room, remote monitoring or alarm receiving centre will not only respond a lot quicker in the event of an incident but will also eliminate all the red-tape associated with engaging with a third party when resolving any issues.

3. Key Holding Services

Most service providers that offer remote monitoring solutions will also offer key holding services so that they are able to access a site as quickly as possible if deemed necessary without any client intervention in the event of an incident or emergency.

4. Fully Redundant Systems

A service provider needs to have a contingency plan to ensure that a site remains protected when system failures occur. Some providers usually deploy a guard in the event of a systems failure while others may have back-up systems that kick in when the primary one fails.

5. Emergency Response Services

You will rest assured knowing that your service provider will deploy a private unit to your site within minutes in the event of an emergency. In many cases, control rooms usually engage their local police who are not guaranteed to attend site in the event of an incident.

6. Trusted Supply Partners

Service providers usually deploy third party vendor systems for their remote monitoring solutions but only a few of these are reliable and trustworthy. It is therefore a good idea to go with those that partner with well-known video surveillance brands.

1. Detector-Activated Systems

CCTV systems that will pro-actively detect and prevent, deter or delay potential intrusions are usually designed with electronic sensors to instantly transmit triggered alarm signals back to a monitoring station in the event of an intrusion. An effective remotely monitored CCTV system should therefore have at least one sensor alongside a visual aid or camera at every pre-defined hot spot on site so that any triggered alarms can be analysed well before intruders cause any significant damage.

2. Audio Challenge Capabilities

Remotely monitored CCTV systems are usually deployed with audio warning or challenge equipment which enable control officers in a remote monitoring centre or central management station to issue real-time verbal warnings to potential intruders. An effective remotely monitored CCTV system should therefore have at least a set of strategically located amplified audio speakers on site that can be used to broadcast affirmative messages well before the intruders get to any of the site hot spots.

3. External Weather Resistant Systems

CCTV systems that are usually deployed on construction sites will in most cases be designed for outdoor use and most will survive adverse weather conditions for long periods of time especially if they are regularly checked and kept in good working order. It is therefore essential to crosscheck with your service provider if any of the outdoor systems like cameras, sensors, audio speakers and any related cabling carry a minimum IP66 rating to be able to guard against dust and water.

4. Long Range Night Vision Capabilities

CCTV systems are usually used to monitor construction sites out of normal working hours and most especially in the night when there is little or no visibility, and some use cameras that rely on ample external lighting provided by the construction sites to capture clear footage or images. It is therefore advisable to opt for purpose-built cameras that use long range (>30m) infra-red technology to capture clear high-resolution images in ultra-low-light conditions or in the absence of external lighting.

5. Flexible Video Storage Systems

There are many options that CCTV systems can use to securely record and store vital video footage, and a lot of those deployed on construction sites use hard disk drives encased in a local digital or network video recorder to record, store and playback video footage as and when it is required. There are however some options that allow video footage to be stored in the cloud or away from site via the internet which can help prevent loss of vital footage in the event of theft of or damage to equipment.

6. Vandal Resistant Systems

CCTV cameras, sensors and speakers are usually deployed along construction site perimeter boundaries so that they can monitor both private and public areas and this makes them susceptible to vandalism or tampering especially just before or during unauthorised intrusions. Most systems now take care of this problem by having in-built vandal or tamper proof technology which is programmed to send an alarm signal back to the remote monitoring centre in the event of a breach.

7. High Quality Video Footage

CCTV footage is usually recorded and played back at predetermined speeds or frames per second that influence the video quality, with higher speeds producing higher quality images while lower speeds produce lower quality images. It is therefore important to note that footage recorded at a minimum 24 frames per second will produce high resolution (1080p) images that can be used to easily monitor, detect, observe, recognise and identify unauthorised intrusions.

8. Integrated IP Technology

Construction site CCTV systems have traditionally used analogue cameras to capture and send images over COAX (RG59) cabling back to a networked digital video recorder (DVR) which can be locally or remotely accessed via the internet using specialised software to play video footage back in real time. Some service providers now use the more scalable and flexible IP cameras which not only produce higher quality images but are also easier to deploy, operate and decommission.