Keeping Construction Sites in Yorkshire and the Humber Secure: Challenges and Solutions

The construction industry is thriving in Yorkshire and the Humber region. From housing developments just outside York, to commercial developments in Sheffield, and infrastructure developments in and around the Humber estuary, we are seeing steady growth in the construction sector. Whenever a construction firm experiences growth, it incurs significant responsibilities, including one of the most important, ensuring its jobs sites are secure, safe, and protected from risk.

While security may not immediately come to mind when individuals observe construction cranes and scaffolding, it is a challenge that could create or derail project delivery. The construction firms in Yorkshire are managing a myriad of issues associated with security, safety, and protection from risk, none of which are obvious from the surface but impact a job, and ultimately cost and delivery.

Why Theft and Vandalism Keep Happening

Theft remains an issue which building contractors around the UK continue to face, but Yorkshire seems to be disproportionately affected. Valuable equipment, metals, and even the hand tools that are meant to be there, can all go missing if sites are not locked down legitimately. Any stolen equipment obviously needs replacing makes any cost a consideration, but theft can cause delays inciting every contractor's anxiety.

Vandalism is yet another of the realities of empty building sites, and by decay also antisocial behaviours. Graffiti, broken fences, broken tools and equipment, all lead to needless expense and wasteful delay.

The Hidden Dangers of Trespassing

It's not all about crime. Construction sites are unsafe places, but that doesn't stop trespassers from entering, especially young people. Exposed wiring, incomplete structures, heavy machinery, and more all create a risky atmosphere. Meanwhile, for site managers it's less about guarding properties and more about preventing accidents and liability.

The Yorkshire and Humber Challenge

Unlike some smaller areas, Yorkshire and the Humber cover a range of environments. Urban construction in cities such as Leeds or Sheffield faces different risks than rural projects in the Dales or coastal builds around Hull. Large open areas make anywhere from surveillance to intrusion fence control difficult, while an urban city centre project has to balance a tight security line with public accessible routes.

Given the range of environments, site security in the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber cannot follow a single "one-size-or-the-other" approach.

Practical Ways to Strengthen Security

So, what options do construction companies have? Here are a few proactive solutions that are already having an impact on sites across Yorkshire and the Humber:

• Manned Guarding: Having a security guard on site with SIA licensing is still one of the greatest deterrents as it is human, reliable and variable.
• Mobile Patrols: If sites are large or isolated, mobile patrols are better able to carry out security patrols and increase security in an area as opposed to an officer being required to stay within the site boundaries.
• CCTV & Remote Monitoring: The availability of technology allows for remote 24/7 monitoring of sites and provides notifications creating a watchful eye if something nefarious were to occur, even after hours.
• K9 Security Units: Well-trained security dogs will keep both criminals and your staff away and provide layers of deterrents and security.
• Access Control Systems: Keeping track of who enters and leaves your site reduces risk and makes people accountable.

Balancing Security with Budgets

Naturally, many businesses are concerned about costs. Security seems like an additional cost to them, but the fact is that prevention will always be cheaper than theft, vandalism, or injury claims. A recent industry report highlighted that theft in construction across the UK costs hundreds of millions of dollars each year. When you put this against hiring a guard or installing CCTV, security becomes affordable very quickly.

Local Support for Local Sites

At Region Security Guarding, we recognize that the demands of Yorkshire and the Humber projects can differ from those in other regions. We offer a specific service range from construction security in busy cities and patrols for remote builds, as it depends on every site being different.

If you want to learn more about how our team can support you for your next project, please explore our Construction Security Services.

Final Thoughts

While security matters in Yorkshire and Humber are prevalent, they aren't difficult either. The manned guarding with new technology and local knowledge enables construction companies to have some degree of security for their projects, eliminating, or at least reducing, the potential of costly downtime and enabling them to feel comfortable in regard to their site security.

When, at the end of the day, securing a construction site is about more than just securing the tools and equipment - it's about establishing a safe, professional environment to facilitate progress.