Without a doubt, construction sites face many challenges where security and safety are concerned. It’s no wonder since it puts workers at a higher risk for injuries and the nature of the setting leaves a lot of expensive assets outdoors without the protection of a building.
This is stating the obvious, but construction companies want to do all they can to ensure their workers don’t get hurt on the jobsite. Data shows injuries and theft have dire side effects on construction projects. Theft is bad for all companies. In the case of construction, theft and injuries could greatly hinder the project. Any delay easily causes cost overruns, which puts a hit on profits.
Additionally, construction sites house expensive materials and equipment, which entices thieves. After the workday is done, the large construction site is dark and empty. It’s huge and filled with assets that fetch good money on the black market. It’s a serious problem as the price of construction equipment has increased with inflation. Replacing equipment will be an expensive undertaking.
Construction companies need to make the most of every single dollar due to the rising cost of construction materials unlike anything we’ve ever seen, which is why construction materials theft has increased. Keeping workers safe and preventing crimes on the construction site go a long way in protecting the bottom line. Besides, with the construction worker shortage, it’s more critical to ensure every employee can show up for work.
Even if you have a great insurance plan, you may not receive reimbursement for a long time. Meanwhile, the work needs to continue. It can’t afford any delays.
How Remote Video Surveillance Provides Proactive Construction Security
Remote video surveillance is different from other security technologies and solutions because it is proactive. It provides the highest level of construction security while helping to lower risk and liability. Video cameras with monitoring can yield a fast return on investment. An effectively designed security camera monitoring program on a construction site can view the entire jobsite and saves all activity as recordings.
Construction companies hire a security vendor that has experience with securing construction sites as well as knowledge and experience with remote video surveillance. They review the jobsite and can make recommendations based on the company’s requirements. Setting up the system involves placing security cameras in carefully selected places around the construction site and monitoring them. In doing this, they can optimize the video system setup for the jobsite.
You can find security vendors with a monitoring center located far away from the construction site. At these centers, trained operators work with video analytics to watch cameras. This keeps them out of harm’s way. This lets them make decisions without worrying about their lives.
It’s taxing for humans to do the monotonous task of monitoring many cameras for hours. Without some support, it takes its toll on trained monitoring operators who may miss something important.
This is where video analytics come in. The security company programs many scenarios for video analytics to detect and track people, vehicles, and license plates. The technology learns how to differentiate humans from animals.
The partnership of trained monitoring operators with video analytics allows them to spot things early, warn off trespassers and help capture suspects by calling local police before anyone commits a crime or causes damage. Video analytics depends on human intelligence because video analytics doesn’t have the ability to determine if a person or vehicle is allowed to be there. Without humans, video analytics would set off an alarm that could turn out to be false.
8 Ways Video Surveillance Offers Proactive Construction Security
Construction projects need video surveillance because it can do much more than increase safety and security. Check out these eight ways remote video surveillance provides proactive security for construction.
1. Finds and reports safety hazards
Management on the construction site often can’t spot safety problems because they only have eyes on what’s in front of them. People watching your cameras can view the entire site.
Loose cables, out-of-place materials, and wet areas are dangers waiting to happen. Trained monitoring operators and video analytics can scan the site on video cameras for potential problems. As soon as they identify a safety hazard, they can contact the construction site contact.
2. Helps prevent theft and vandalism
Installing security cameras isn’t an indicator of worker distrust. That’s why the construction company needs to present it as a tool to help stop external theft and vandalism, locate safety problems, enhance productivity, and more. When outsiders and employees see the cameras, they may be less likely to do illegal activities.
3. Could lower liability and fraud
You can have all the right protocols and processes in place, but all it takes is forgetting a step to create a dangerous situation. Workers make mistakes especially when fatigue, extreme temperatures, and noisy settings are involved. As a result, they may forget to follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.
It’s possible to lower insurance premiums in construction. If something happens, video surveillance with monitoring records everything it sees to help you with any liability cases. The footage can give you the evidence you need to support your claims in a potential lawsuit. Video can show your company wasn’t at fault or that it did not purposely violate safety measures.
4. Helps enhance operational efficiencies and productivity
Since surveillance cameras are in different locations around the site, it gives the trained monitoring operator a clear view of what’s happening. The operator, along with video analytics, can analyze the comings and goings, activity, blockages, foot and equipment traffic, transporting of materials, and more. The monitoring operator can partner with management to find ways to organize the construction site for maximum effectiveness while helping to improve productivity and flow.
For example, they might find better ways of storing equipment that improves the traffic flow, shorten walking distances, prevent multiple trips, ensure vehicle and foot traffic are safely away from each other, and reduce duplication. Management can also use monitoring to verify workers follow safety protocols and use the right equipment for each task. These make great training video clips to show workers the right and wrong way to do things.
5. Can observe the site in all weather conditions
Worksites put up with severe weather including strong winds and sudden freezes. These can lead to problems. During these dangerous weather conditions, no one will be on the job site. This is where trained monitoring operators stationed at a remote location can help. They can keep an eye on the jobsite from a safe place and report problems as soon as they occur.
Anytime problems pop up, the monitoring operators can reach out to the point of contact or first responders. The recordings come in handy as construction leaders use them to show insurance companies what caused any damage to the construction site.
6. Works to minimize damage
Criminal activity and natural disasters can be detrimental to jobsites. By monitoring the site in real time, security professionals can quickly act to help mitigate interruptions, loss and damage. Additionally, contractors and management can watch their projects from anywhere, using a computer, tablet or smartphone. This gives them access 24/7.
7. Can cost far less than security guards
Security guards are not cops. They don’t have the power to do what the police can. Security personnel can only see what’s around them. For every guard you hire, the costs multiply as the fees goes beyond their salaries. You may also have to cover their uniforms, training, insurance, and equipment.
Security guards get very little training, if any. The reason police undergo an enormous amount of training is to help them overcome their fight or flight instinct and address each situation as they’ve been trained. In some states, security guards are not allowed to carry a gun. They’re human and their instinct may be to run away and not do their jobs.
Security guards can be a liability. For example, the police charged an armed security guard with murder after the guard shot someone on the property. It turned out the security guard acted beyond the scope of his authority in using his weapon.
8. Helps maximize construction security investment
With remote video monitoring, construction sites can reduce or forgo the use of security guards. Video cameras have the ability to access and see areas on the jobsite where security guards may not venture.
There are more savings involved with remote video surveillance besides avoiding the expense associated with security guards. Proactive security helps deter crime, cut risk and liability, reduce insurance premiums, and boost productivity and operational efficiency. Many clients see an ROI on remote video surveillance within months.
Proactive construction security combines video analytics and human intelligence for the highest level of security 24/7. Construction security cameras support the construction site and help make it a safer place for everyone.
Management can rest easy knowing that video analytics and human intelligence are analyzing the construction site. Plus, video surveillance technology can save all recordings for reviewing as needed. Video cameras can help ensure compliance and the adherence of safety protocols. This, in turn, helps increase safety and productivity while cutting risk, liability, fraud, and insurance premiums.
Construction sites encounter many challenges beyond crimes and injuries. They also deal with arson, poor organization, and brutal weather conditioning. Proactive remote video surveillance can make it possible for trained monitoring operators to safely observe your worksite no matter what’s happening on the site. Monitoring operators know how to respond appropriately when something happens. This is why they’re an important part of the monitoring equation.
To learn about proactive construction security, pick up your free copy of the Construction Security and Safety Best Practices guide or contact us.
