At STACK we are always encouraging you to drop the manual methods. Why work from paper plans when you can have hyper-accurate takeoffs and speed the bid process 10x? Why use a notepad when you can automize the process and track Daily Reports in our app? Yes, you should know by now that it’s imperative to digitize your workflows, but have you ever thought to digitize your jobsite?
A construction jobsite is full of valuable tools, equipment, and smart devices holding sensitive data. Signs and fences are like the manual methods of jobsite protection, but will they truly prevent criminal activity? We’ll guide you through the impact of jobsite theft, what needs protection, and how to keep your jobsite locked up like Fort Knox.
Why Perimeter Fences Aren’t Enough
It’s hard to stop the intentions of a criminal. If they want your skid steer, copper pipes, or iPads, they’re going to climb your perimeter fence and plow it down on their way out. Signs, fences, and lights only do so much. If you aren’t taking steps to protect your jobsite, you run into trust and reputation damage with GCs, owners, and employees.
The Impact of Jobsite Theft
Who’s at fault for being negligent about jobsite security? The average cost of litigation in construction was $37.9 million in 2020. The possibility of legal disputes is real and the financial effects are damaging.
What has been stolen or damaged? You’ll need to take an inventory and calculate replacement costs of equipment, materials, smart devices, and/or recovering data.
How long will your project be delayed? The backhoe that was swiped from the jobsite might not be available at your local equipment rental supplier for another week. Or the custom siding you were installing that took two months to be delivered is now four months out. Supply chain interruptions and delays create a domino effect for other subcontractors who can’t stay on schedule.
What will happen with your liability insurance? New claims typically increase your insurance premium. Time to add that to your overhead costs.
What will your market and peers say? If you don’t take steps to protect your jobsite, your reputation will be negatively affected.
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What Needs Protection
Materials: With the cost of materials increasing and supply chain frustrations, you better believe criminals are looking to fill their inventory with your goods. Lumber and copper are the highest targeted materials because of the ROT (return on theft). Many contractors are taking advantage of early payment discounts with suppliers, but when your materials are sitting on the job unsecured you can say goodbye to those savings.
Tools & Equipment: According to the National Equipment Register’s Equipment Theft Report, mowers, skid steers, utility vehicles and trailers are the most targeted pieces of equipment on a jobsite. Power tools and towables (chippers, generators, etc) are also highly valued and easily stolen.
Smart Devices: Your smart devices might be the most valuable pieces of equipment on your jobsite. Your data is priceless and protecting your tech equipment is vital.
How to Secure Your Jobsite Like Fort Knox
1. Track who and what is on your jobsite
Take advantage of solutions that centralize equipment tracking, deliveries, daily notes and scheduling. Know where your materials are stored and who is on the jobsite all day, every day. STACK’s Field Productivity solution captures onsite workforce and equipment activities, events like deliveries and visitors, and related items like documents and photos with Daily Reports so you can rest easy at night with an audit trail.
2. Consider an Equipment Tracking App
If you have equipment that needs to be transported and used across multiple jobsites, it can be difficult to keep track of the location of each piece of equipment. Apps like busybusy give you visibility on which equipment is on which jobsite, helping you keep tabs on your valuables.
3. Stay connected with your team
Collaborating with your team in real–time is essential. You need to alert the proper people immediately if there is theft, damage, or a data breach. Daily Reports and issue tracking allow you to record incidents, and cloud-based tools mean you can tag the appropriate parties right away, no matter where they may be working. But also be sure everyone has access to emergency contact information. You’ll need a digital record of the problem, but stakeholders will appreciate a phone call to break the news.
4. Track your materials
Manage your materials by knowing exactly who is using what on the jobsite each day. Raken’s digital reporting capabilities help field contractors collect and share high-quality project data with project managers so they can monitor material in real time.
5. Invest in security cameras
Companies like TrueLook focus specifically on the construction industry, allowing live jobsite viewing, 360-degree views, and high-resolution zoom. TrueLook also allows you to give full or limited camera access to team members, owners, and GCs, allowing them to keep up with your project progress.
STACK Pro Tip!
Use timelapse footage from security cameras and promote it as a marketing tool to showcase your start-to-finish build.
6. Protect your equipment and materials
Whether it’s a fenced in location or mobile storage container, keep your supplies inventoried and on lockdown. With electronic locking devices, you can limit access to only those who need to be utilizing that area of the jobsite. Use key cards, codes, or these tech-savvy Bluetooth Padlocks.
7. Light it up and make it loud
Security alarms and motion sensor lighting will at the very least bring attention to the jobsite and automatically alert local authorities.
Stay Protected with STACK!
STACK enables unmatched team collaboration, daily reporting, and planning capabilities to help keep your jobsite protected. Our infrastructure and operational best practices also safeguard your data on any device.
