Construction sites are always buzzing with activity. Numerous people keep coming and going, creating a huge security risk. That’s why so many owners prefer hiring an armed security company.
More than 90% of construction sites suffer from security risks such as theft. That’s why you need to conduct a security risk assessment. It helps you to establish your weak points accurately. Afterward, you can bring in armed security for hire to guard the project. Below are four steps you can use to conduct the assessment.
1. Pinpoint the Physical Security Risks
A construction site can have lots of different risks, but your focus should be on physical security. How prone are you to incidences like trespassing and theft?
The risks assessment at the site should start with identification. Note down all the risks that currently exist. A good starting point would be to look at the site location, the number of construction workers, current armed security services on board, and the equipment in use. These factors make it easier to come up with a list of security risks that require hiring an armed security company.
You can also look at the following:
- How storage of materials and equipment is done on the site
- How often that site or other sites in the area have experienced security breaches
- Availability of a perimeter wall and how well it’s constructed
- Parking lot security measures for site and employee vehicles
- How well the site is lit at night
- Unofficial routes that can be used to access the construction site
2. Do a Risk Evaluation and Categorization
Once the risk assessment is done, you can now evaluate them and categorize them according to the risk factor. Evaluation helps you classify the different risks before taking action. One way to categorize is into either high, medium, and low risk. You can also categorize them as either internal or external.
Alternatively, you can request a private security firm to help you categorize your risk factors. They have a better understanding of these categories and even pinpoint some things you might have missed.
3. Create a Security Action Plan
Once you are done categorizing the different risks, you will need to create an implementable action plan. You can use the SMART approach when doing this. The approach ensures that your security action plan is very specific on everything, measurable (has metrics that can be used to check if it’s working), actionable, realistic, and time-bound.
You should also set up a security budget during this stage while also looking for a reputable armed security company.
4. Regular Action Plan Analysis
Remember, as your construction site changes, you will have to deal with new risks. You must therefore analyze to see if the measures you took are still enough. Ask yourself whether you need an extra security patrol officer or you just need to move them. Subsequently, you can upgrade the measures to improve security at the site.
Every construction site needs to conduct regular security assessments. It can help you beef up security which dissuades thieves and trespassers from getting any funny ideas. At the same time, it helps keep workers safe and accountable, which saves you a lot of money in the long run.
