Take Control of Securing and Locating Portable Assets

Anyone in the construction industry knows that there are unpredictable setbacks on the jobsite such as bad weather, accidents and injuries. But unlike a strong winter snow storm, you can control and prevent the number one threat to jobsite productivity - jobsite theft.

Jobsite theft continues to be a major problem for professional contractors with 95 percent of contractors experiencing jobsite theft once per year. When tools and equipment are stolen, or a jobsite is vandalized, the result is often catastrophic. Jobsite theft is so commonplace most companies have a dollar amount built into their budgets to account for losses.

Continuous theft can cause numerous problems, both from a cost and time perspective. Many contractors do not report losses, as it can increase their insurance premiums as well as requires significant time to file and process each claim. Many contractors who purchase their own tools and equipment see the loss coming directly out of their own pockets. The construction industry can utilize cutting-edge technology to prevent jobsite theft and the financial and productivity losses associated with it.

There are industry organizations taking action and addressing the issue of jobsite security. The National Equipment Register (NER), an organization focused on increasing the recovery rate of stolen jobsite items, maintains a national registration database which is the home of over 10 million ownership records. Registering your tools and equipment with them enables law enforcement officers help to easily identify stolen property. The Association of General Contractors, in partnership with NER and the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, work together to help recover equipment stolen from jobsites.

The NER, offers valuable advice on how to secure a jobsite and prevent theft. Highlighted below are a few jobsite security tips:

• Make your theft prevention policy part of your business plan and link it to incentives for employees.


• Conduct unannounced and random jobsite visits to ensure nothing unusual is occurring while work is not in progress.


• Work with local law enforcement before a theft occurs. This will allow officers to patrol more effectively as they will be aware of expected activity at your worksite and have an awareness of any projects considered to be high-risk.


• Consider keeping disposable cameras readily available at your jobsite for employees to photograph suspicious people possibly evaluating the site for theft.


• On your jobsite, make smaller items less of a target by surrounding them with two bigger pieces of equipment, making less accessible to steal. Place larger pieces of machinery or equipment in public view so they are visible from the street.


• Keep details for each piece of equipment, including photographs, unique markings, serial numbers and a description.


• Consider having your most valuable materials and appliances delivered in an unmarked van.

The financial impact of jobsite theft affects the “bottom line” of both commercial and residential contractors. It is something that can often be avoided if the proper steps and precautions are implemented. Find a security system that is designed to meet your needs and will help protect your assets from theft. While there may be a financial investment to make upfront, it will provide long-term benefits in protecting you from significant financial and productivity losses.

Jobsite Theft in Numbers
DEWALT is focused on developing innovative solutions to meet the needs of professional contractors and continuously heard users complain about the issue of jobsite theft and lack of a solution to effectively protect the jobsite. DEWALT conducted research and found that jobsite security was a top concern for construction industry professionals. An overwhelming 85 to 90 percent of stolen equipment is never recovered. Of the 200 jobsites visited, fewer than 15 percent employed an effective alarm system. Other industry research estimates that jobsite theft accounts for $1 billion in annual losses.

In the past, most jobsites used traditional residential alarm systems to protect trailers on jobsites which failed to provide the necessary protections to protect assets on the jobsite. Users were limited by the lack of durability and mobility of these systems. Other methods used on jobsites such as wire gating, fencing, security cameras, pad-locks and flood lamps also were unsuccessful in adequately protecting jobsites as they were easily bypassed by intruders.

Addressing Jobsite Theft With Innovative Technology Solutions
In addition to protecting the overall jobsite, contractors should also consider other protection for mobile assets. With the popularity of tracking device technologies, there are more options for monitoring and recovering stolen assets. With a portable system, contractors are able to take the system from site to site and eliminate extra costs of hardwiring at each site. A portable system is designed with a base unit, stationed in an indoor location (most often the jobsite trailer), and remote sensors that can be programmed and mounted individually to monitor key assets such as tools, gang boxes as well as other materials on a jobsite. If an intruder tries to enter a secured area, disturb a piece of protected equipment, or remove a sensor, the alarm activates and a signal is sent via wireless technology to a monitoring service.

These solutions provide professional contractors with the ability to protect their assets, allowing them to focus on completing their job without the worry of coming onto the jobsite and finding that their tools and equipment are gone.

Maureen Silber is product manager for DEWALT's Security Business Group. DEWALT recently introduced MOBILELOCK, a stand alone, portable, wireless locating and alarm system that is easily mounted to equipment using integrated heavy-duty magnets or by fastening the unit into place using screws. Unlike other mobile asset protection systems that use radio frequency to locate stolen assets, MOBILELOCK features a GPS locator that can help users find stolen or lost assets anytime. For more information on jobsite security solutions, please visit www.dewalt.com.