Theft plagues the construction industry. TrueLook’s 2020 Jobsite Security Report states that the average value of a piece of equipment stolen from the job site exceeds $29,000. But the total cost of theft is much higher, as projects are delayed and crews sit idle. According to the National Equipment Register (NER), annual estimates of the total cost of equipment theft may be as much as $1 billion.
While fencing creates a barrier to outsiders, it’s not a complete solution. In fact, 53% of contractors we surveyed said physical fencing was the predominant security precaution when items were stolen from their jobsite. Theft is committed by insiders as well, as workers and subcontractors who have access to jobsites after hours can easily enter the jobsite to steal equipment and materials. They know where and how the equipment, tools and materials are stored, which makes it easier to break in at night and take whatever they want.
How do you stop them? Infrared construction cameras can play a big part.
Construction Cameras with Night Vision?
An unattended, poorly lit job site is an invitation for theft. Traditional cameras may have motion sensors, but they require a well-lit environment before they can detect movement. By contrast, cameras with IR technology can detect motion in total darkness.
IR sensors detect infrared radiation, which isn’t visible to the human eye. If you’re at all interested in the science behind it, Live Science explains that infrared is a wavelength between visible light and microwaves on the electromagnetic spectrum. While average cameras can’t detect these electromagnetic wavelengths of 650-1050 nm, infrared sensors can.
Construction Cameras that Use IR Sensors
Even in the dark, someone viewing an infrared construction camera, can see what’s happening on the jobsite. And when someone walks into the detection area of the IR sensor, the sensor is activated and can trigger the camera to alert users to motion on the site. The alerts, via text message and/or email, are configurable and can be sent to project managers or security personnel to let them know of after-hours activity. No extra lighting is needed, just the infrared camera.
Although standard construction cameras work well when there are ideal lighting conditions, infrared construction cameras have the upper hand in all environments, because they don’t rely on light to catch intruders. By installing cameras with IR technology built-in on your jobsite, you’ll have peace of mind that your motion detection system will not fail, even in the darkest environments.
Reliable, Around the Clock Protection
There are many ways to secure a jobsite — fencing, on-site security guards, and drones, to name a few. But these can be expensive solutions, and security cameras have been shown to offer the best ROI. If you have cameras with IR technology built-in, you can rest easy knowing that any motion on your jobsite after hours will be detected.
TrueLook cameras, in particular, are always recording: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may think that’s a lot of footage to sort though in the event of an incident, but the way motion is tracked within the application, users can see exactly on a timeline when there was activity on site. And because alerts are sent at the time of activity, you may be able to call the police in time to catch thieves red-handed.
TrueLook offers construction cameras with built-in IR sensors and configurable motion alerts, to keep you informed at all hours of suspicious jobsite activity. Check out a live demo to explore all the capabilities of Truelook cameras. Need help deciding what cameras to buy? Download our Buyer’s Guide.
