With theft of items from the UK construction industry thought to total £600m-£1billion per year, building sites present a constant security challenge.

Due to the need for frequent access by workers, contractors and for deliveries, sites can be particularly vulnerable to plant theft, especially as they are often unmanned at night and over weekends.

Stealing plant equipment is viewed by thieves as low risk and high gain. Most at risk are excavators, trailers, dumpers, rollers, breakers, generators, compressors and tractors.

The recovery rate of stolen construction equipment is very poor, mainly due to the fact that identification of unmarked plant is virtually impossible once it has been removed from its proper site.

Apart from securing the site externally, precautions should also be taken to ensure plant equipment is marked with the Selectamark permanent marking system or SelectaDNA forensic marking system with any serial numbers registered on our Secure Asset Register (http://www.secureassetregister.com). This will ensure that should a theft take place and the items are recovered, they can be returned to the rightful owner. Outdoor warning signs can be supplied to warn thieves that items of value are marked and protected.