Many people believe that making cost savings involves opting for the cheapest possible solution. For example, you might be inclined to select mobile patrols over a static guard in order to cut costs (despite the fact that a static guard may be more appropriate for your site).
However, when it comes to construction site security, time and money go hand-in-hand, and by making small tweaks to your security provision (and the way you operate), you will be dramatically reducing costs in the long-term.
In this post, we offer some realistic solutions for making savings with your construction site security, without compromising on your security measures. Read on to find out more…
Cut Time Onboarding & Inducting New Workers
On-site inductions typically take up to an hour a day to complete before workers can begin their working day.
This equates to five hours a week, twenty hours a month and, wait for it… 240 hours a year!
Can you imagine how much more work you’d have got done if it wasn’t for those lengthy morning inductions?
Instead, you should consider an in-line turnstile or turnstile pod/cabin system that includes a pre-enrolment facility. This will enable contractors to register their details and complete their H&S induction process online, prior to attending site for the first time.
This solution will get workers on-site sooner, driving up serious efficiencies for your project.
Time & Attendance Management Software For Your Construction Site
Despite common misconception, time and attendance software does so much more than tell you who’s clocked in or out. It can also help you to run instant fire roll calls, manage complex shift patterns, muster reports… the list goes on.
Most crucially, however, time and attendance software can help you identify much-needed productivity gains. This means that you can pinpoint the activities that are saving and wasting your time, allowing you to make appropriate adjustments for the benefit of your site’s productivity.
With time and attendance software, you’ll no longer need to set up shop at a construction site with a manual clocking system – which often results in inaccurate time reporting, administrative errors and increased labour costs. Instead, you can streamline this process for both employees and supervisors, making for a much more productive workforce.
Managing Access Control for your Construction Site
Site access control comes in two forms: human access and vehicle access. If you effectively manage your access control, you can again cut down on the manual, laborious process of clocking who’s coming in and out. Here are some features to consider:
• CCTV cameras with intelligent ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology monitoring vehicle gates
• ANPR reporting
• Pre-booking for authorised vehicles
• CCTV evidence for fast dispute resolution
To find out more, check out our construction site security turnstiles page.
Arrange Several Comparison Site Surveys For Your Construction Security
We’re all about saving you time when your project has begun, but there are areas where you can’t afford to cut corners.
Before your project commences, we strongly recommend that you arrange several site surveys with different construction security companies, obtaining quotes as early as possible. This will give you plenty of time to find out which company/service level best meets your cost-saving requirements. There are even some providers who focus heavily on efficiency and cost-savings!
Making these decisions in good time will also allow you to get security equipment installed and implemented, meaning that you won’t need to arrange things at short notice, potentially paying a premium for a service that’s not best suited to your needs.
Having providers review site plans/drawings is a great way to get indicative quotes ahead of a full site survey as well, especially if the site isn’t ready to visit yet.
Regularly Review Your Construction Site Security
The security on your construction site should evolve with your project and, as such, should be regularly reviewed to ensure that it continues to meets your requirements, save costs and create efficiencies – throughout every stage.
This can be quite difficult to manage by yourself, so when choosing a security company, ensure that ongoing consultation and support is part of your package.
Individual Construction Site Security Considerations
There are also simple ways in which you can save money on your construction site in the short-term. For example, one dog handler can effectively replace two static guards. This may even provide you with more effective guarding provision since dogs are experts at sensing intruders and enabling their handlers to respond faster, more accurately and cover more ground.
This approach, however, will very much depend on your individual needs and circumstances, so it’s recommended that you work with a provider that offers transparency with cost savings throughout the duration of your project.
Conclusion
Saving money isn’t just about going for the cheapest solution. In fact, this approach may prove to be detrimental to the security you provide for your construction site and result in increasing costs.
Instead, you should seek ways to save money by increasing productivity and efficiency. This long-term strategy will help reduce risk, save time and, most importantly, improve the level of security on your construction site.
If you need support with your upcoming project, don’t hesitate to speak to an expert today.
