Improving Job Site Security for Construction Companies

Nothing protects job site assets better than a well-drawn-out security plan for a job site.

• By Bill Herzog
• Apr 10, 2024

There is no resource more integral to a construction company than the project on a job site and the materials and equipment on that job site. These things are a construction company’s most important and expensive assets, and they must be maximally protected. Nothing protects job site assets better than a well-drawn-out security plan for a job site. A good security plan will protect the job site and more importantly protect the crews. Here are a few ways for construction companies to improve job site security. 

Hire the Right (and Enough) Guards

Physical security guards on a job site are essential for any construction site. Guards can monitor the job site day and night. They are an amazing deterrent against crime and can alert law enforcement and the management team when someone is trying to trespass and vandalize a job site. However, don’t just hire any security team. Be sure to hire an OSHA 10-certified security team. Many construction teams are OSHA-certified; so it makes a lot of sense that a security team would be certified as well. Security guards with OSHA certification are trained to spot OSHA violations and alert team leaders of any issues. They are an extra pair of eyes that protect assets but also guard against fines caused by OSHA violations. 

Hiring OSHA-certified security is a good step to take but it is also important to hire enough security guards. Understaffing is the biggest issue in job site security. Construction sites can be huge, sometimes covering hundreds of acres. Two security guards aren’t going to cover an entire residential subdivision adequately. How many guards on site is going to be dependent on the site, but it is important to account for the size of the space, the number of entry points into the space, foot traffic around the space, the equipment on site and the crime rate of the area. If located in an area where trespassing and destruction of property is common, add more guards. If there are really expensive materials such as lumber or copper on the job site, add an extra guard specifically to guard that area. However, if it is a small job site in an area with very little crime history, a two-team security crew may be enough. It all depends, and a good security company will ask these questions.

Install the Right Security Cameras

Installing security cameras on a job site is critical. Video surveillance works in tandem with the physical security team to ensure crime reports onsite when they happen and record proof they occurred when law enforcement arrives on the scene. Catching someone vandalizing an expensive job site or stealing copper is easy to do when there is video of them doing it. Cameras point at every entry/exit point, and the most important work areas will make anyone rethink trespassing on a construction site. However, job sites are temporary and often lack an adequate power source to run a camera all night. Solar-powered cameras are a great option for those who live in adequate sunny areas and don’t want to splurge on a generator. They are a great option because they don’t require a traditional power source and can run all day and night.

Jason Fischbeck, owner of Automated Environments—a residential and commercial smart tech installer in Mesa, Arizona—said solar cameras are a great job site option for construction security.

“Solar cameras are self-sustaining devices that store energy and charge the battery in the daytime and operate using stored energy at night,” Fischbeck said. “It runs without a generator and reliably stores power and stays on at night.”

Every construction site needs at least three fixed cameras and one that can rotate 360 degrees focusing on areas of interest. Cameras should be placed at every entry/exit point and they should be placed in areas with any expensive equipment and areas being extensively built. 

A good security team needs a good camera system to be effective. Make sure to have both.

Properly Light the Job Site at Night

Lighting is essential for any job site. Every construction company knows how important lighting is when crew members are working at night, but they often shut off the lights when construction crews leave. However, a security team can’t protect job site assets if they can’t see them. Entrances and important areas, such as where materials and equipment are stored, should be illuminated at night. This makes it easy for the security team to easily see the important areas of a job site. LED temp job site lights will work perfectly. A well-lit job site with the right security team is a well-protected job site.

Job site security is essential to the viability of any construction company. It keeps both equipment and crew members safe from danger and protects the company from liabilities caused by crime on a job site. Hire the right security team, install the right cameras and use the right lights, and the job site will remain secure.