A contractor building a high-value private house in Southampton came to us after a construction site theft that cost far more than the goods that were taken. Here is what happened, what we put in place, and how it turned out.
At a glance
- Site: high-value private house, Southampton
- Cover: about 9 months
- Set-up: 1 officer, at least 3 patrol visits a night, and an extra alarm
- Result: insurer satisfied, lower cost to the contractor
What happened
The site was a high-value private house, built to the owner’s exact requirements. One December night, between about 12:30am and 3:30am, thieves spent around three hours on the site. They took cables and damaged windows that had been imported to the owner’s own specification.
The site had an alarm with a contracted response service and a named keyholder. Neither responded.
Why the theft was only the start
The insurer refused to pay out, because the site did not have the right security in place. Before it would cover the site again, it said the contractor needed two security officers on site: one to look after the building and one to look after the materials.
Replacing the specially made windows pushed the job back by around four months. Paying for two full-time officers on top of that would have added a large cost to a project that was already over budget.
What we recommended
We looked at the site and proposed a set-up that would meet the insurer’s concerns at a lower cost:
- One SIA-licensed officer on site at night, at weekends and over Christmas.
- Mobile patrol visits on top of that, at least three every night, as the insurer required. The patrol officer completed an online patrol form on every visit.
- An extra alarm system, fitted by us, covering the areas most at risk.
The alarm was linked to the mobile patrol officer assigned to the site and to a staffed control room, and its loudspeaker could be heard by the officer on site.
The on-site officer patrols an area and then sets its alarm. On the next patrol, the officer unsets it, checks the area and sets it again. While the officer is elsewhere on site, the alarm watches those areas, so one officer covers ground that would otherwise need two.
The result
- The insurer was satisfied with the new arrangements.
- The site had the right security in place for the rest of the build.
- The contractor paid less than two full-time officers would have cost.
We guarded the site for about nine months. The contractor still comes to us first whenever they need security.
More on our construction site security in Southampton, mobile patrols and alarm response, or read our guide on how to secure a construction site.
Has your insurer asked for more security?
If your site has had a break-in, or your insurer wants more cover before it will pay, we can look at the site and tell you what it actually needs. Call 023 8181 0000 or email info@rgsecurity.co.uk.