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Video Surveillance for Homebuilding and Construction Sites

Topic: Homebuilding and Construction

Worried about security at your construction site? Vandalism and theft of raw materials and equipment are often a major concern while building a home or during any sort of construction. A video surveillance system can be a great way to improve the security of your construction site.

Benefits of IP Video Surveillance

An IP video surveillance system can be a great boon to any construction site. They are very easy to install. Cameras can even be mounted to mobile units such as free standing poles to allow you to move them quickly and easily from site to site if needed.

The mere presence of video cameras can often be enough to deter would-be vandals and thieves. Even those undeterred can be thwarted through the use of video surveillance. Cameras can alert you to the intrusion and you can properly direct security guards to the area, or notify the proper authorities of the trespass.

Video surveillance can also be useful for monitoring operations and making sure that employees are doing their jobs correctly. In times of dispute between customers and workers, surveillance video can even be used to settle the argument, showing exactly what happened.

Risks to IP Video Surveillance Systems

When installing a video surveillance system at your construction site, you should be aware of the potential dangers. Damage can be done to video cameras through various means. Accidents can occasionally occur during construction, rendering your camera inoperable.

Damage can also be done to your camera through vandalism. Keeping cameras in high and difficult to reach areas is one way to protect your cameras from damage done by vandals.

Because cameras will need to be placed outside to monitor a homebuilding or construction site, the weather can be another major threat. Extreme cold or heat, rain, sleet, hail, ice, etc., can all be very damaging to IP cameras. Ensure that you use outdoor cameras, and if you are working in an area or season where weather can be especially inclement, special weather-resistant cameras will be needed.

Placement of IP Surveillance Cameras

When first installing your surveillance cameras, look over the construction site. What do you consider to be the biggest security threat? If you are leaving raw materials and/or equipment on-site overnight, where are they located?

Cameras should be located so as to provide a clear view of any potentially vulnerable areas, as well as all equipment and/or raw materials left overnight on sight. You should also properly survey the construction itself for protection in the case of vandalism.

Set up a good ring of cameras around the entire perimeter of the construction site. This will give you a good view of any persons entering or exiting the construction site. Placing them visibly will also alert any potential intruders to the fact that the site is under video surveillance and keep them away.

Advanced Event Management

One of the great advantages of using IP cameras for your video surveillance is the great amount of software designed to work in cooperation with your video surveillance system. Oftentimes this software will come included with the camera, or can be purchased in addition to the camera from the manufacturer or a third party provider.

This software can include things such as video motion detection, alarm notification systems to alert you whenever an alarm is triggered, object recognition and much, much more. Look at these options as well when purchasing and installing your video surveillance system to add far greater power and flexibility to your construction site security.