Research shows that nearly four out of five tradespeople in the UK have experienced tool theft with the estimated cost to the industry coming in at a staggering £2.8 billion.

Because the victims of tool theft are often self-employed, the impact of their individual losses on them, their families, livelihoods and mental health can be devastating. However, the criminals targeting construction sites and trade vans rarely stop to think about such things and so it’s vital that construction companies prioritise and put every effort into site security. In this week’s blog, we’ll look at how big this problem has become and what you can do to protect your site.

Since the clocks went back in October, the hours of daylight have been getting shorter and that means many construction workers (including those working in office support roles) will be spending at least part of their working day and commuting time in the dark.

This can result in additional safety and security issues, including the risk of accidents occurring on site or while travelling to work as well as more malignant factors such as premises and/or workers being targeted by thieves taking advantage of the cover of darkness.

Here, we look at six simple ways you can stay safer this winter.

When construction sites close up for Christmas, theft, arson, unwanted visitors, bad weather and public safety issues all have the potential to disrupt the festivities or bring nasty surprises in the New Year. Prevention is always better than a cure so follow our ‘site shut down’ checklist to enjoy a worry-free break.

All CSCS cards should have a smart chip embedded into them by March 2022. That’s the recommendation being made by the Construction Leadership Council which it says will improve security and efficiency, thereby protecting the integrity of the system. CSCS cards are widely recognised as the industry-standard requirement for all on-site construction operatives.