Top tips to keep your construction tools safe

Working in construction often involves the use of expensive tools and equipment that are vital for completing projects. But unfortunately, the tools and equipment that are so essential to the construction industry are attractive to thieves due to their high cost. In fact, it was reported by the Confederation of Roofing Contractors that the total cost of theft and vandalism in the UK construction industry totalled £800 million in 2020, with an average of 20,000 cases of tool theft reported.

Theft of tools can also cause more than just financial loss: it can also slow down productivity, cause unnecessary business interruption and could potentially lose you valuable clients.

That’s why it’s important to manage the risk to your business and protect your tools and equipment from theft.

So, let’s take a look at some protective measures you can take to keep your tools and equipment safe.

1. Keep an inventory log

If something gets stolen and you need to report the theft, a detailed inventory log can help with identifying and recovering items. Your inventory log should include detailed documentation like receipts or an  electronic equipment register, for example recording who last had the equipment and when they had it – making it less difficult to start the tracing process. It would also be useful to take photos of each asset.

2. Keep your site secure

Keeping your site secure is vital in protecting your tools. This includes locking away any tools, locking all doors and gates at the end of the day and fencing the perimeter of your construction site. If your construction site includes a lot of high value equipment, you could also invest in hiring designated security to prevent unauthorised personnel from walking on to your site.

3. Keep your site well lit at night

Usually, thieves will rely on the fact that when it’s dark outside. They will not be seen and won’t be able to be identified entering or exiting the site. To avoid this, you should keep your construction site well lit at all times, ensuring that if anybody walks onto the site, they can be seen. This can help to deter criminals.

4. Plan ahead

If possible, you could purchase or delay any deliveries until you actually need to use the tools and materials. This avoids having an excess of materials lying around, meaning there are less items on site that could potentially be stolen.

5. Register your machinery and tools

The Construction Equipment Security and Registration Scheme (CESAR) is the UKs official construction and agricultural equipment security and registration scheme.

The CESAR scheme works to combine many security measures to help protect your machinery, such as tamper-proof plates that carry a unique identification number to confirm a machine’s true identity, and glass tags that contain a unique code number permanently programmed into it, which cannot be altered or deleted.

The technology CESAR uses can help to track equipment, which can help reduce the risk of theft and improve the chances of stolen equipment being returned. CESAR also has micro security systems that enable you to protect smaller items such as power tools.

Find out more about how CESAR can help to protect your tools and equipment.

If  you would like to talk to an experienced commercial adviser about your Construction Insurance needs, we’d be delighted to hear from you. We work with our clients to create a programme of insurance covers to protect against any potential claims. You can contact us on 01480 272727 or send an email to enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk and we will be in touch.