Theft in construction sites is a major issue to site owners and contractors. Thieves target building sites because they are not usually protected properly and make off with valuable building materials. Some site workers and managers even work together to loot equipments and materials at the expense of their clients. Considering the state of the economy in Nigeria today, no one wants to buy materials twice.

In this article, we will talk about how to keep materials on the site safe from thieves on the outside and inside of your construction site.

Safeguarding Building Materials and Equipment On Site

FENCING
This is a great way to prevent external thieves from getting access to materials on site, this might be a bit expensive but it will save you money on the long run.

If you are having money constraints, use iron sheets to surround your site and a gate that has locks. Having a fence before you start is a must do to prevent thieves.

ON SITE SECURITY
This will also cause you extra bucks, but just like fencing, it will save you cash in the future. Most Nigerians would rather use "aboki" living around the neighbourhood but hiring a real security guard will keep them accountable for any theft.

You may consider giving the site guard, contractor and site supervisor joint responsibility for the safety of the materials.

Considering the fact that the guard just has to be on site at night and not 24/7, you will not spend a lot of money on it.

ALARM SYSTEM
For larger projects, you should consider installing an alarm system that will alert the whole neigbourhood when the site is breached. No matter how lonely the area might seem, the thief will have to run for cover.

KEEP INVENTORY
This is an excellent way to stop theft done by site workers.You will have to take some time out to take note of everything that have been bought and cross check from time to time to make sure they are complete.

TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE OF STEALING
This is a good thing to do when workers have just been newly employed, tell them about how you hate workers that steal from site and how you will seriously deal with whoever is caught. This is not much but goes a long way in preventing theft.


NOTIFY THE POLICE OF ANY THEFT
After talking about theft and threatening to punish offenders it is important that you follow up on your promise by actually reporting any theft and the person involved to the police. A drastic step but it’s teaches others watching of the repercussions of stealing.

COORDINATE DELIVERIES OF MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
Make sure materials and equipment arrive around the time they will be used. Be there at delivery or delegate to someone you trust because suppliers sometimes don't deliver the quantities in full.

Ensure you have materials like reinforcement, cement and wood delivered and counted few days before they are needed.

SECURE YOUR TOOLS AND MATERIALS WHEN THEY ARE NOT IN USE

Don't wait until the close of the workday to put the tools used back in storage. Some site workers pick some equipment under the pretext of borrowing it. By the end of the day your measuring tape, wheel barrow, hammers, shovels, etc are gone.

To save cost, wood planks used for foundation can be used to build a temporary storage unit.

OBSERVE SITE WORKERS
Construction brings people from different background on site who you can't vouch for. One way to avoid untrustworthy people is to ask the workers you know to recommend people of good character.

Safeguarding building materials on site might cost you extra cash but it is better than losing more to thieves. Was this tip was helpful? Why not share to your network so others can benefit from it.

Do you have more useful tips on safeguarding building materials and equipment on site? Please list them out in the comment section.