Protect Your Heavy Equipment From Theft
How to protect your heavy equipment from theft? The number of instances of thefts of heavy equipment in the United States is still increasing, despite the persistent efforts of enterprises involved in construction and law enforcement. Through the National Crime Information Center of the FBI, more than 11,574 different pieces of heavy machinery were reported stolen in the year 2016. (NCIC). You, as the owner of heavy equipment, and the operators who work on your heavy equipment have a number of options available to prevent theft of your heavy equipment. There is no such thing as a risk-free place of employment. But if you follow these guidelines, you can prevent theft and vandalism at your job and safeguard the important construction equipment you have.
- Maintain a Secure Site
Your understanding of the workplace is the first line of protection you have against the theft of devices whenever you begin a new project. For instance, if you are going to leave your heavy equipment in the work area overnight, you should make sure that the area is clean and that it is easy to see from the street. This will deter burglars. Additionally, it installs safety measures at the construction site, such as an alarm system or video surveillance, in order to monitor the construction site both during working hours and outside of those hours. When the job is done, the operator should be reminded to close the cab door and all of the windows before leaving. You shouldn’t overlook these instructions. You should not leave the machine keys behind. Additional preventative measures you can take to safeguard your workplace include the following:
Determine whether there are any other businesses or vendors operating in the area.
Add a chain gate or gate
Warnings and a no entry sign should be posted.
Put a cap on the amount of persons who can get in.
Install workplace safety lighting or make use of a beacon to increase visibility in the facility.
If you have a huge office with valuable equipment, you should think about hiring a security agency.
If you are unsure of your workplace or are concerned about the safety of your equipment, look for a more secure location to store your equipment that is within a reasonable distance, either by car or by foot, from your place of employment. There is a possibility that we have more labor ahead of us, but if we want to avoid theft, we will have to pay the price.
- Know Your Equipment
It looks straightforward. How knowledgeable are you about the necessary tools for each project? Another method for decreasing the chance of theft is to be familiar with the heavy equipment’s manufacturer, model number, serial number, and date of purchase, and to record all of this information in a register. Get a picture of each machine and make sure to include as much detail as possible. Ask your equipment dealer where the serial label is located on your machines if you are unsure where it is located on them.
Make sure that your heavy equipment has been registered with the National Register of Equipment (NER) or the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to maximize your chances of recovering it in the event that it is stolen. The Nationwide Equipment Register (NER) is a national database consisting of heavy equipment and asset files that provides facility owners and insurers with assistance in the process of repairing equipment.
It is now more likely than ever before that heavy equipment will be outfitted with onboard float monitoring systems for the purpose of real-time tracking and reporting. This will serve as an extra layer of security. Telematics systems can provide a deeper understanding of when, where, and how construction machinery is utilized. The longitude and latitude coordinates of the place are provided, and the mapping program will automatically convert those coordinates to the closest address.
In addition to tracking the location of a physical machine, many equipment manufacturers offer geofencing or time-fencing, which helps business owners or fleet managers control unplanned use and track machines in the event of theft or graffiti. Both of these features are available from the manufacturer. You can use a geofence to create virtual GPS borders, and if the machine is running outside of those bounds, you will be warned by email or text message. You have the option to set up the geofence yourself. In addition, a number of the technologies that are used for floating monitoring make use of a terminal that is located within the machine in order to gather and wirelessly send data through the use of a mobile or satellite service. After that, the data from the engine is sent to a website where you, your operators, and your equipment dealer can verify the performance of the engine, as well as the hours worked, the fuel consumption, and any engine failures. A computer or mobile device can also be used to monitor problems and warning codes, as well as check the temperature of the engine or hydraulic oil, and check for leaks.
At each construction site, it is absolutely necessary to provide the operator of the equipment with instructions regarding the protocol that is to be followed on-site. Then, once each move is complete, your operators will park the equipment in its new location. After that, make sure the door to the cab is shut and locked, and register each piece of equipment in accordance with the procedure that is currently in place. Some owners will instruct their drivers to park the vehicles in a circle, with the most compact vehicles in the middle. The use of this method lowers the possibility of theft.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the cause for fully losing heavy equipment is due to the fact that late complaints of stolen equipment were filed. There is a larger possibility of recovering the stolen device if you and your operators report the theft as quickly as possible. Take the following precautions if you find yourself to be the victim of a theft:
Use the technology that tracks ships to find it.
Make a report to the authorities about this, and be sure to include specifics about the missing machine, such as its dimensions, color, and make.
Start filing a complaint as soon as you log in to your insurance provider’s website.
Please inform NER about your machine.
In the construction industry, one of the most aggravating and expensive problems is theft of equipment. To assist in the reduction of theft and vandalism, it is important to both devise a thorough plan to deter theft and maintain a state of constant alert.