A water company in the south of England has been having some security issues for several years which has resulted in the theft of expensive plant and equipment. Apparently this problem is a reasonably common issue faced by big land owning companies, who find it difficult to secure their equipment when stored on large sites covering sizeable areas. Long stretches of fencing are difficult to maintain and can provide thieves and vandals with a means of easy access that’s difficult to monitor. There are many solutions to these problems such as the use of security guards, CCTV and high strength security specific fencing but determined thieves will undoubtedly still gain access and foil these defences. On many occasions further safeguards are required around any equipment stored within the perimeter.
After being approached by the water company, we were able to offer the solution in the form of a high security cage. This allows equipment to be locked safely within the cage itself which can also be secured to the ground if required. Security cages can be tailored to suit each individual application. In this case the cage was 1000mm wide x 700mm deep x 1630mm high. A door was fitted to one side, allowing the customer to fit their own padlock to discourage any forced entry. The wire infill sides, roof and base were produced from 25 x 25mm mesh and the whole unit was finished in a blue, epoxy powder coated finish. The unit weighed 58kg and presented enough of a physical size to deter any would be theft of the complete cage and contents.
Cages can be supplied with bolt down bases, fork channels for moving by forklift trucks or even fitted on a castor base for easy manoeuvring around site. Other alternatives to secure site storage include semi-permanent mesh cages and partitioning or enclosed safety vaults. All of these solutions have their individual merits but in the first instance it’s always advisable to speak with an expert or ask for a site visit to assess the full risks posed and how they can be best reduced.
The cost of replacing stolen or damaged equipment can be a big issue, especially if insurance premiums don't cover the full expenditure involved. The instalment of security cages to house frequently used equipment, stock or any other items, is a relatively small investment that can greatly help make it much more difficult to remove goods and equipment from site or damage those not readily moved. Cages are simple to manufacture and have a short lead-time, so can be supplied quickly at short notice. A simple and straightforward solution to a potentially big problem!
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