Take steps to secure your site
Shropshire construction companies are being warned to secure their sites well as the school summer holidays approach.
Theft of heavy machinery already costs the UK £1 million every week, and Anthony Hughes, from Henshalls Insurance Brokers in Newport and Shrewsbury, said the long summer holidays would mean the on-site risks would increase still further.
"Large plant thefts are usually carried out by professional thieves, but with the summer holidays coming up, youngsters are often drawn to places they shouldn't be, such as major construction sites.
"They have plenty of time on their hands and so vandalism and arson incidents increase - they also put themselves at risk of serious injury.
"So companies must make sure that each time they stop work for the day, or over the weekend, they must protect their heavy machinery and keep the site secure."
Anthony said local farmers were also at risk, and any stolen machinery could bring real difficulties in terms of keeping the site or farm business running.
"You could face safety fines, downtime, increased premiums - much more than just the cost of replacing the stolen machinery.
"Insurance is essential of course, but some costs may not be covered, so it's vital to check the small print."
He said there were several initiatives designed specifically to prevent plant theft and recover stolen items quickly and easily.
"The CESAR scheme uses clever tagging systems to help stolen items to be identified quickly and recovered as soon as possible - it also includes clear security markings which act as a deterrent to potential thieves.
"A star rating scheme has also been launched which rates your plant and equipment according to the security features it has in place. The more stars each item gets, the less likely it is to be targeted.
"And a dedicated police unit, the Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU) works closely with plant manufacturers to gather information on the key causes of plant theft, recover stolen items, and break up organised crime networks."
Anthony said other protection schemes, including the award-winning Shropshire-based SmartWater products, could all help reduce the risk of losing valuable machinery.
