Gone In 60 Seconds? Not With These Rental Equipment Security Tips
Posted on: 25 January 2016
You'd be amazed at the prevalence of construction equipment theft on most job sites. According to recent statistics from the National Crime Information Bureau (NCIB), nearly a thousand pieces of commercial equipment are reported stolen from U.S. job sites each month and the overall annual cost of equipment theft is estimated to be as much as $1 billion dollars.
Leaving contractor equipment rentals at the site always comes with its own set of risks and the potential penalties for letting rented or leased equipment disappear could prove costly for your operations. The following offers a few pieces of strategy for preventing rental equipment theft.
Tips and Techniques for Secure Storage
Leaving your rental equipment unsecured on the jobsite can make a thief's work much easier than it should be. To keep thieves from walking or even driving away with your equipment, you should keep the following best practices for secure equipment storage in mind:
- Immobilize your heavy equipment so it can't be moved by unauthorized personnel. There are many ways this can be done, from lock-out devices that disable controls to a simple "wagon train" arrangement that makes it difficult to move the equipment.
- Generators, compressors and other easily-transported equipment should be locked up in a gated pen, a heavy-duty portable storage container or another area that can be secured with locks. If push comes to shove, you can place your transportable equipment within the wagon train circle surrounded by larger, harder-to-move equipment.
- If your rental equipment features a hidden fuel shut-off system, don't be afraid to use it to disable your equipment at the end of the workday.
- Never leave your equipment unattended in remote or hard-to-monitor areas of the job site. Equipment left in outlying areas of the jobsite can end up an easy target for theft.
A Human Presence Can Help Prevent Theft
In addition to securing your rental equipment on the site, you should also have a security company conduct regular patrols of the area after hours. The presence of a security guard will deter the vast majority of equipment thieves from entering the site, drastically lowering the likelihood of a theft taking place.
Regular security patrols should also be combined with the use of video surveillance. A security camera equipped with motion-activated lighting can act as a deterrent against all but the most brazen of thieves.
Always Document Your Equipment
One of the best strategies for preventing equipment theft involves plenty of documentation. Having your rental equipment thoroughly documented can help decrease the likelihood of theft while making it easier to recover stolen equipment. Here are a few tips you should use when it comes to documenting your equipment:
- In addition to recording the serial number or vehicle identification number (VIN) used for your equipment, it's also good idea to document the make and model and type of equipment. There's a good chance that your rental equipment company will already have this information listed on the rental agreement, receipts and other documentation.
- Don't hesitate to take photographs of your rental equipment as well as where they're stored at the end of the workday. Photographs can give law enforcement a better idea of what to look for in the event of a theft.
- Not only should you document your equipment, but you should also document who uses it and when it's being used. A simple work log can be used to track usage of your rented construction equipment. It can also be used to maintain an accurate inventory of your equipment.
Make Your Workers Aware
Even in daylight hours, there's always an opportunity for equipment theft to take place. Make sure your workers remain aware of any unusual persons who arrive on the jobsite. Workers tasked with security should also be aware of anyone who attempts to enter the jobsite without the proper credentials or proper permission.
These tips can help you keep your rental equipment right where you need it to be, instead of disappearing like the thousands of pieces of equipment stolen each month.
Share