Cameras for your construction site?

Heres a good solution that has been put in place to a hard issue. For smaller projects, and for project home builders, getting a handle on the security issue can be difficult. Materials such a copper piping and tools and installed goods such as whitegoods can go missing as quickly as they are deposited to site.

SecureIt in the UK have installed camera's on a project home site. Cameras are motion sensitive and infrared enabled and alert off site monitoring when activated. Monitoring staff can then look at vision from the site and make a decision about whether to alert a roving patrol responder to attend.

This system has been so successful they are now going to install on five other sites. Obviously this is a highly cost effective way to secure a project. It also has the potential to introduce economies of scale. For example, where a construciton company is currently using individual security officers at a number of construction sites in close proximity, these could be replaced with one roving officer who responds to threats as identified by the cameras.

There is real potential for cost and efficiency savings within this setup. There is also the opportunity for construction companies who currently are unable to use security because of the cost to add this solution to their opperations.

Regards
Steve
www.misedio.com

Links
Article: SourceSecurity.com
http://www.sourcesecurity.com/news/articles/co-3572-ga-co-227-ga.1900.html

Biometric Security

There is a lot of vendor advertising material floating around boasting the benefits of biometric security systems. A number of construction companies I know are considering access control systems for their construction sites. Some have been advised this is the way to go if you want high security outcomes. The main benefit extolled is that you can rely on biometrics to "man" an unmanned gate - ie by installing a turnstile.

I would advise caution before going down the path of a biometric security system rollout. The important thing to focus on is the business outcome that you are trying to achieve. If you are building a military installation where access control is a premium requirement, by all means, biometrics could be the answer to a difficult security question. However, if all you want to achieve is head count with an added degree of access control, then simple bar code technology could suffice. The difference here in cost could be in the order of 10k to 160k - so consider carefully what you want to achieve before moving forward.

On the issue of securing a gate with a turnstile and biometrics combination I would advise watching the linked Mythbusters video below. This video is not meant to detract from the value of biometrics, rather, it should serve as a clear warning to choose equipment from a reputable supplier with a proven track record.

I have linked anther video which describes the different types of biometric technolgy that is on the market. I will blog specifically on each over the following weeks.

Steve
www.misedio.com

Links
Mythbusters crack fingerprint reader...with wet paper photocopy!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA4Xx5Noxyo&feature=related

Silcon.com outlines biometric technology
http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39169487,00.htm

Easy and Effective Risk Analysis

I've written before on this blog about site security guarding services and their critical function on construction sites. Well, ive just come across this excellent and simple risk assessment checklist by Ashmark security of Melbourne (Australia). This list contained on this page asks the simple questions that should get any site or project manager thinking the right way about construction site security. The fact that Ashmark are asking their construction clients whether their gate hinge pins are spot welded tells me that this is a company that KNOWS the environment into which they are selling services.

If their webswite is anything to go by, if you are looking for a security provider in Melbourne, I would think they are well worth checking out.

Steve
http://www.misedio.com/

Links
Ashmark Website:
http://www.ashmarksecurity.com.au/scripts/default.asp?idPage=5&Name=Home

Ashmark page on which risk assessment information is found:
http://www.ashmarksecurity.com.au/Scripts/default.asp?idPage=4