Maintaining Safety and Security Around Construction Sites

Construction sites present a number of dangers, both to those working on them and members of the public. Itâ€™s vital that they are correctly secured at all times in order to protect the assets and prevent unauthorised access.

According to figures from the Health and Safety Executive, between two and three children are killed every year because theyâ€™ve been able to get on to a building site. There are also many more who suffer injuries. Itâ€™s not just children that construction sites need to be wary of, but they are generally classed as a more vulnerable group. This is because the areas can appear to be exciting places, with lots of interesting pieces of equipment. Children can often be drawn to them, unaware of the potential dangers.

Effective Site Security

Construction site managers have a duty to ensure that members of the public are not put at risk by activities that are taking place. When the site is first established, they need to identify any hazards that can cause risks and which groups might be most in danger or require special attention.

A construction site needs to have strong and durable physical boundaries, such as steel fencing or industrial gates. These need to be appropriate for the location of the site and the hazards that are present. Managers should look at the positioning of the site and decide on the required level of security. For example, sites within schools or hospitals might have specific issues when compared with more general sites. Once the fencing or gates are in position, they need to be correctly maintained. Any areas of weakness or damage could make for easy points of entry. Pay particular attention to areas that are hidden from public view or in corners of the site.

Accessing a Site

Itâ€™s important that they look at restricting who has access and preventing entry to the site through unmanned areas. This includes gaps in the boundaries and access through adjacent land. Every site should have details on how they will manage access via clearly defined routes, such as through industrial gates that are manned by a security team. They also need to determine what measures are in place to stop unauthorised entry. This can include having varying levels of security clearance for workers and ensuring registered visitors are escorted round the site.

Security measures are only effective if they are routinely implemented. It only takes one moment when concentration is lacking for someone to gain entry to an area that is prohibited. If the gates are not continuously manned, then they should be properly secured, even when the site is open. Itâ€™s also vital that the site is correctly secured at the end of each day. Some sites will operate a night security service, but generally they are relying on intruders not being able to get into the site.

Construction sites are a common feature across the country. Generally, people are aware of the dangers, but that doesnâ€™t make t