How to Prevent Theft of Your Heavy Equipment on Jobsites

There are many costs associated with theft including equipment replacement, short term rentals, lost time dealing with law enforcement and adjusters, increased labor costs due to downtime, and penalties that could be incurred if a project is delayed.

This blog will look at ways in whcih you can prevent, or at least reduce the probability of theft on your jobsites.

Enclose the Site with Fencing

This is a viable option on smaller sites. You want to make sure the fencing is see through so that unwanted individuals on your site can be seen. You want the fence to be at least 2.5 meters high and the posts should be spaced no greater than the width of the narrowest machine on the site. You also want to put razor wire on top of the fence and warning signs on the body of the fence. If possible, you want to have only one entrance to the site. This entrance should be gated and padlocked. You also want your site to be well lit along the bordder of the property and you want to aim these lights into the worksite.

Clearly Mark Equipment

You want to indelibly mark your equipment with your name. In order to amke it difficult for your name to be removed, have a welder engrave your company name on all equipment. Secondly you want to anchor the equipment on-sire with a chain or a cable, painting the chain or cable as an extra deterrent.

Immobilize and Track Equipment

You want to immoblilize equipment that is not used regularly. If they have tyres, remove them. Remove the hitch on towed equipment or trailers. Install theft prevention devices that disable fuel, hydraulic and/or electrical systems on higher value equipment. Consider removing the wires and/or the battery on larger equipment. Install a GPS tracking device on equipment. You may also want to install locks on the fuel tanks to prevent diesel theft. With the price of diesel at record levels, every litre of fuel is valuable.

Increase the Odds of Recovering Stolen Equipment

Be prepared if your equipment is stolen. Reduce downtime and keep accurate records to help aid a police investigation. You’ll increase the odds of recovering stolen equipment if you follow these tips for reliable record keeping.

• Keep Records Up to Date

• Maintain detailed and accurate inventory of all equipment on a worksite. Record the year, manufacturer, model number, and serial number.

• Take photos of all units from each side and update photos as needed.

• Record all modifications like paint color which can be reported to the police if it’s necessary to confirm machine identification and proof of ownership.

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