If you’re tired of spending money on security guards who aren’t consistently preventing crime from happening on your construction site, you may be ready to consider a more effective alternative. There are options in today’s market that can guarantee your site remains safe from intruders and vandals, and (bonus!) that can actually save you up to 40% on security expenses!
Have we piqued your curiosity?
Remote video monitoring allows for comprehensive site monitoring, thereby eliminating a number of common security issues. However, just like any other product, no two remote guarding systems are the same. Here are a few things to consider when finding a system that will truly work for you.
Here's what you need to look for in a remote guard for your construction site.
1. Buy a solution, not the equipment.
Plain and simple: technology is expensive and constantly evolving. Don’t get locked into an expensive purchase that will quickly become obsolete. A programming fee can be expected as the equipment needs to be customized to your site. HOWEVER, if a company is requiring you to purchase the equipment itself, that should be a red flag. Choose a company that will charge a reasonable (and fixed) monthly fee that covers the expense of any equipment replacements or repairs along with the monitoring.
2. The cameras should be programmed for video analytics.
Let’s consider the alternatives:
- The average video monitoring system simply scans for movement. Such a system would definitely detect a burglar on site, but unfortunately it would also detect strong winds, a raccoon, or a stray balloon.
- With on-site security guards, the main issues that come up are the inability to be in all places at once (consider the scope of most construction projects), as well as the tendency for guards to fall asleep on the job. If a guard can fall asleep in a car, the same can be assumed for guards watching cameras from indoors. Consider also how numb these guards can become to movement on cameras, when filtering through constant false alarms.
- Video analytics remove the need for operators to filter through these false alarms because they filter the video feeds themselves. The monitoring station is only notified of a trigger when truly suspicious behavior is happening on site (e.g., humans or vehicles on site after hours). This means the operators can devote their full attention to true break-ins, and notify the police immediately.
