Effective security strategy stops plant thieves

Any coherent strategy to beat the criminals must start with analysing where your plant is vulnerable and then take steps to protect it. In general, plant is stolen from the depot, during transport or on site and is particularly vulnerable during handovers and when left unattended overnight and at weekends.

Therefore to prevent criminal making off with your plant you need to address each area in turn. Broadly speaking, anti-theft measures for machines divide into four areas: prevent anybody gaining access to the machinery secure machines so they can't be removed tracking machines so you know where they are even if stolen and mark and register plant so the police know who owns it when it is recovered.

Each strategy has its merits and drawbacks.

One of the best ways to prevent plant being stolen is to ensure it is stored within a secure compound. For added security you can add a guard or CCTV system to detect intruders before they have a chance to get away with any valuable machinery. If the secure compound is the whole of the construction site or plant depot, so much the better as that also prevents vandalism or the potential for a law suit if an 'uninvited' guest injures themselves on your premises.

Sure fencing

Permanent secure perimeter fencing is relatively easy for depots but can be a problem for temporary areas like construction sites, and almost impossible for utility operations and roadworks.

The likes Blok 'N' Mesh, Eve Trackway and Marwood (see list below) can provide temporary fencing barrier around construction sites albeit that it is unlikely to stop the determined criminal set on stealing your plant. Portable CCTV systems can help by both providing a deterrent and alerting the police if a criminal is spotted on site. For instance Camwatch has developed a stand-alone CCTV system that wirelessly connects to a control room manned 24/7. The latest update sees the use of high-definition cameras that can be controlled to pan, tilt and zoom from the monitoring station, automatic number plate recognition and a PA system on the tower. This means the thieves can be told they have been spotted, are being recorded and the police are on their way.

Number plate recognition is increasingly on offer from companies like Camwatch and Vision Techniques and is finding its way into more and more CCTV and barrier control systems. This can give unhindered access to pre-approved vehicles while automatically alert security staff if unknown vehicles try to enter the site or compound.

But before signing deals with any CCTV company, check if sites with the system can be issued with a Unique Reference Number by the police. Without this number any activation may not get the police attention you might expect as the history of CCTV systems is littered with false alarms and such alerts can easily slip down the priority list. Beyond the price of a specific installation, check the cost of re-installation, transmission and alert charges and who (you or the company) has to alert the police if an intruder is detected.

Increasing perimeter security can have a doubly beneficial effect on insurance premiums because not only does it reduce the likelihood of plant being stolen, it also dissuades children, teenagers, 'taggers', street artists and thrill seekers from entering the site.

The next line of defence is the 'secure container' where plant and other valuable equipment can be locked away to give prospective thieves another barrier to carrying off their prize. Garic's 'Plant Safe' is a case in point being specially designed to store machines up to 13t. The floorless 'container' has to be delivered on a special trailer and once on site all external lifting points are removed. Thieves cannot simply pick up the container and its contents and place them on the back of a truck or trailer and if they successfully lift the container (weighing several tonnes) the machines are left behind.

Counter productive

Many companies may think that any form of security is better than nothing. But that is not necessarily the case as ineffective anti-theft measures can be counter productive. Operators thinking their machines are protected may be less careful about where they park them overnight. So instead of being moved to the middle of the compound each evening or placed in a secure store, the compressor is left close to the perimeter fence chained to a post. The criminals bring a truck with a Hiab, scale the fence, sledgehammer the chain and lift the machine away within a couple of minutes.

Below is a list of a few companies that offer site security and secure plant storage.

CCTV systems

• Camwatch: 01142819999
• Cerberus Services: 01543502555
• Challenger: 01179730028
• Drax (UK): 01462634554
• Guide Security Services: 08450580011
• Heras: 0844472001
• ISDS: 08000329935
• OCS Security: 08702200914
• RemGuard: 08705736482
• Robowatch: 01303261210
• SecureBox: 01675434200
• Tag Guard: 08707700108
• Vision Techniques: 01254679717
• VTC: 01254667330
• WCCTV Ltd: 01706631166

Secure site storage for plant

• Garic: 01706821221
• Groundhog: 01639641166
• Hall Plant: 01246567233
• Marwood Group: 02075402500
• Sean Jordan Cabins: 02837549671

Perimeter fencing

• Barriers Direct: 0800028010
• Blok 'N' Mesh: 08709505788
• Eve Trackway: 01623515333
• Jacksons Fencing: 01233750393
• Marwood Group: 02075402500
• SecureSite UK: 08456121312
• Total Security Solutions: 08452576175
• Wildside: 01327312464