By their very nature, construction sites are magnets for danger and are inherently hazardous environments for everyone. Since they are subjected to constant development that changes by the day, various individuals visiting on-site, and precious machinery and equipment being transported and installed, it’s no surprise these sites constantly run the risk of facing various potential security hazards.
However, before project managers can choose security measures for their site, knowing the potential hazards they might face is vital. Being aware of the full spectrum of on-site security threats and risks helps project managers be better prepared to deal with them and devise appropriate security measures to combat them. It’s important to learn about the common security hazards a construction site might face and tips to tackle them to implement reliable, robust, and consistent security measures to ensure the project’s fulfilment and success.
Top Five Security Hazards Construction Sites Face
Whether it’s during the lively and bustling working hours in the day or the complete desolation and silence at night time, a construction site is never safe from facing security threats that might incur huge losses. To set up safety measures to ensure complete on-site safety, here are some common security hazards for construction sites to beware of:
1. Equipment and Material Theft
Since they often include precious machinery, tools, and equipment that can be stolen, theft is the most common and major security hazard for construction sites. As these equipment and materials are also transported to the site with great visibility, they can be a huge target for theft from the get-go.
2. Site Vandalism
Whether it’s due to bored teens who happened to get their hands on some cans of spray paint or sabotage from disgruntled employees and staff, vandalism is a common security risk for construction sites. This can escalate to a serious situation including the risk of arson which can incur greater financial losses and project setbacks.
3. Environmental Safety Risks
A worksite sees various raw materials and sensitive machinery that run the risk of contamination, fire hazards, etc to everyone present on site. This can worsen into a serious situation if the hazard is not dealt with on time or if there are no emergency exits present on site.
4. Unauthorised Access & Trespassing
Whether it’s due to the curiosity of people simply wishing to take a look at the site or the ill intent of suspicious individuals, construction sites are a big magnet for trespassers that can put everyone’s safety at risk. This places the company in charge of the site at risk of being sued for not implementing proper measures against unauthorised access.
5. Physical Assault & Violence
Since construction sites are places of tough work and severe stress levels, tempers can run high and things can get quite heated up between employees. Certain workers might act out if they’re asked to leave the worksite or they might simply have personal conflicts with other coworkers which can result in heated arguments and physical fights. Not only can this lead to serious discord in the team but can also put everyone’s safety in extreme danger.
Helpful Tips to Mitigate Security Threats on a Construction Site
Devising and implementing security measures becomes easier once you’re aware of the nature of threats and risks you might face in the future. Here are some vital tips to consider to maintain expert safety risk mitigation on your construction site:
- Minimise Entry & Exit Points: Setting up perimeter security can take out most of the potential security risks from the get-go. Proper perimeter security includes perimeter fencing, earning signage, camera systems, lighting, static guards, etc.
- Secure Equipment and Machinery: Despite restricting entry points, some trespassers might still attempt to steal worksite equipment or vehicles. To prevent this from happening, make sure to lock up tools and equipment, disable and remove equipment batteries, and store supplies at higher levels.
- Upgrade Post-Breach Protection: In case a security breach occurs, it’s vital to implement advanced alarm systems and motion sensors to upgrade your response times. Integrating a silent alarm system that can alert the authorities right away is also a great post-breach protection method.
- Hire Professional Construction Security Services: Since security threats for construction sites are multi-faceted, outsourcing expert construction security services such as Velocity Group Services can be a great option to uphold robust on-site security.
Working with security services equips a site with trained personnel to manage its safety while also assisting site managers in setting up customised security strategies to maintain 24/7 resilience and consistent protection of their project.
Combat Security Hazards with Expert Construction Security Solutions in Perth, WA
Managing a construction site presents a huge responsibility of ensuring the safety of the site personnel, general public, machinery, and tools while also maintaining the project’s workflow and objectives. This can become a huge burden for site managers if there’s no expert to oversee security risks and implement prevention strategies.
Velocity Group Services provides professional and personalised construction site security services in Perth, WA. Our security solutions comprise safety threat and risk mitigation strategies along with trained personnel to implement them to ensure your project meets no safety obstacles and can be fulfilled on scheduled time.