The past weekend I chanced on a thread on social media and it was quite revealing the number of complaints about theft of materials on construction sites by home builders in the face of the partial lockdown. Though the lockdown may just have been lifted, I am still inclined to share some simple security hacks to safe guard your construction site. Imagine you have invested so much in building materials only for some lazy boys to “access” in a day what you have used years to gather. Now, we both don’t want that, do we? To lessen your anxiety and stress, here are your hacks.
Invest in a surveillance system
The word invest here may connote some substantial amount of money but it need not be so and while we may avoid the word cheap as well, the installation of any form of surveillance system, be it cheap surveillance camera that looks visible is enough deterrent for what we term “area thieves” i.e boys with empty pockets looking for a quick steal to solve that need. Please ensure however that this surveillance camera is very visible at a height such that it is not within reach to prevent tampering with.
Secure all entry points
In as much as it is understandable that you may not be ready to fully secure your perimeter with 4-6 feet high walls made out of brick, blocks or mortar, you can still do bare minimum to keep the area thieves away. So even if you haven’t fully walled your perimeter, or you are yet to buy your desired security doors, you can strengthen and make doors more secure with a metal sheet or plywood. If you have in hand the final doors, ensure that the exterior doors leading to your makeshift storage are fully secured with deadbolt lock especially at the rear entry which is actually the known first point of breakage for most thieves.
Lighting and Warning signs
You will be surprised how this simple act of putting up warning signs serves as a major deterrent to thieves. A simple sign reading “Video surveillance” alone can immobilize a group of recalcitrants who may want to harvest where they haven’t sewn.
Then there is also lighting. While you may be thinking of an upsurge in utility bill, you may not even need to if you can be smart about it. If you are lucky and your site is close to an electric pole, just ensure or get a street light installed and once it overlooks your site it also serves a huge deterrent for thieves with designs on your site. It’s a win win.
Schedule Supply Deliveries on an As-Needed Basis
Some builders are planners to a fault and may want to have all materials on site in anticipation of their need. While it may be a useful resource, it may not always be advisable especially if you do not have a robust storage facility. It is rather advised that you only order supplies on an as and when you need basis so these material are immediately consumed and installed upon arrival preventing a need to store or holding on site. For this to be effective however you will need to have a good arrangements and delivery plan with your suppliers.
See these aren’t so hard, practice them and you won’t only be saving yourself headaches but a few cedis as well. Stay safe!
The writer is the Executive director of Yecham Property Consult
& Founder of Ghana Green Building Summit.
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: Cyril Nii Ayitey Tetteh
