You’ve probably seen it many times outside renovated houses, schools, and special events but don’t pay much attention to it. And we’re talking about fence barricades… But did you know that it can also be installed to your job site and effectively reduce your expenses? How is this possible?
It may not be known to many, but job site theft is becoming a serious problem in the country today. In fact, it is accounted for $1 billion (yes, with a B) in project costs every year as tools and construction materials are frequently stolen. And not only that, project sites that are not secured with fencing are also subjected to vandalism, which is also a factor in maintaining a sustainable profit margin for contractors.
Read more as we are going to discuss how to use temporary fencing to reduce on-site expenses in today’s blog post.
A Crime Of Opportunity
Job site theft is categorized as a crime of opportunity because it usually happens after working hours. And the items being stolen are not just limited to small tools and construction materials because heavy equipment can also be targeted. In fact, tractors and bulldozers are the prized ticket items being stolen, while power tools came in close to second place because they can be sold at a high price.
Of course, small items like shingles, fasteners, and underlayment supplies are also favored by job site thieves as they can be easily disposed of through street selling.
And even if the contractors set up simple preventive measures such as proper lighting, complicating property entry, and locking up transportable tools and construction materials to a safe place, they are usually not enough to deter these criminals from entering the site.
The National Equipment Register (NER) estimates the overall value of stolen equipment in the United States to be $1 billion, as previously mentioned.
And this crime can cause a significant impact on the budget and timeline of a project because the contractor will lose money to replace stolen items.
Not only that, here are some of the negative effects of job site theft on a construction site:
- Delay in schedule
- Increased insurance premiums
- Decreased morale of workers
- Lost productivity
- Reduced job attrition and satisfaction
It’s Not Just About Spending More To Replace Equipment
Job site theft is not just about stealing tools and equipment because thieves will also break in just to vandalize certain appliances to take away the valuable parts. And why do they do this? Well, just consider the fact that most appliance parts are made of copper. And since the price of copper has skyrocketed, then job site thieves will strip of internal wiring just to make easy money.
Theft Prevention Measures
Since job site theft is a crime of opportunity, the best way of protecting your tools and equipment is by installing temporary fencing. And in this section, we are going to share some of the popular and affordable options to effectively ward off criminals from your project site:
Chain Link Panel Fencing
Installing a 6 or 8 feet tall chain link fencing serves as your first line of security against job site theft.
Chain link panel fencing eliminates easy entry as criminals will definitely have a hard time penetrating your site premises.
Privacy Screen/Windscreen
This type of fencing reduces the visibility of your site assets from people passing by. Privacy screen/windscreen is recommended to discourage curious trespassers from becoming thieves just because they see something valuable in your job site.
Barbed Wire
This type of fencing is recommended to frustrate determined thieves from breaking in. Having a barbed wire temporary fencing will make it difficult for a thief to navigate without dexterity and protective gear. It’s so effective that even a barbed wire installed on top of a 6 feet chain link fence can deter would-be felons and look for an easier target someplace else.
Conclusion
While there is an additional cost for installing temporary fencing on your job site, the trade-off might be too much of a risk of your job site operations is stalled. So contact EZ Fence and protect your assets with their high-quality temporary fences.