If you’re managing a building or construction site, you need to know how to secure your valuable equipment. Security is equivalent to on-site safety, and you need to ensure that only authorized persons can enter the site to reduce your liability risk.
So, why are CCTV systems so essential on a building site?
Keep reading as we discuss your surveillance options and why security cameras are a must-have for your building site.
What Are Your Options For Building Site CCTV?
When building site CCTV, you need to decide what security solution best suits your needs. For instance, you need to determine if an on-premise or cloud-based security camera system would better suit your scalability and remote management needs.Â
To help you decide between these two options, below is a list of the pros and cons for on-premise and cloud-based systems.
On-Premise CCTV
Below are the main things to evaluate when deciding whether on-premise systems are the right fit for you.
Pros
- Reliable in blackouts and without an internet connection – an on-premise system will remain operational during system downtime, as it does not require internet access. So long as you have backup generators, your security cameras will never be down.
- No cybersecurity concern – you don’t need to worry about your security camera data becoming exposed in a cybersecurity breach.
Cons
- Complex wiring systems – with an on-premise system, you must plan and design complex wiring systems to connect your camera devices to servers. These complex wiring systems make it more challenging to scale your security system across buildings.
- Server maintenance – to manage and maintain your servers, you must call and wait for a service person to visit your site.
- Costs – maintaining servers can be costly.
- Server storage – you must allocate space for server storage and expand this space as your storage needs increase. This means you will receive less ROI on your commercial space investments.
Cloud-Based CCTV
Here are the features to consider when evaluating cloud-based CCTV for your construction site.
ProsÂ
- Scalability – you can easily scale your system, as the cloud-based devices connect to your cloud-based servers wirelessly.
- Remote management – you can view your security camera data and adjust the focus of your cameras from anywhere using a mobile application.
- Easy server expansion – you can easily expand your cloud-based servers as your data storage needs increase.
- Over-the-air updates – you can troubleshoot and update your system without manual intervention using over-the-air updates.
- Open API integrations – you can leverage the open API integrations of cloud-based security cameras to expand their function, improve security processes, and create a more user-friendly security system.
Cons
- Increased cybersecurity needs – you need to protect your cloud-based security data from a cybersecurity perspective, investing in cybersecurity software solutions.
- System downtime – you may experience system downtime if your cellular, WiFi, and BlueTooth systems fail.
Cloud-based surveillance is the most sought-after technology, as it resolves some of the maintenance burdens with an on-premise system. For the remainder of this article, we will discuss the best reasons to employ cloud-based surveillance for your building site.
4 Reasons To Employ Building Site CCTV
Now that you know the security camera systems available, let’s discuss why you need surveillance on a building or construction site.
Theft And Property Damage
Construction sites and building sites are vulnerable to the threat of theft or property damage. With surveillance cameras in place, you can deter criminals from attempting to steal from your site or damage your property, as visibly placed security cameras will present a challenge.Â
Additionally, should you suffer a security breach at your construction or building site, you must have evidence of the event. This evidence will aid in a security investigation or police investigation. It will also help you make an insurance claim and reclaim the cost of the assets you lost in the incident. Surveillance footage is immeasurably beneficial in investigating and resolving a security incident.
Identity Verification
You need to secure your building site from intruders. A fail-secure electromagnetic lock system with cloud-based access control functions will ensure that intruders cannot easily access the property. However, nothing is in place to prevent an intruder from using stolen access credentials to enter the building.Â
By employing cloud-based security cameras, you can integrate access control and video security to verify the identity of any user entering your building – ensuring that their access credentials match their identity.
You can even apply facial recognition software to this system to automate the process and verify all users.
Video Analytics
Rather than use your security staff to monitor security camera footage to spot potential security threats, you can automate the video monitoring process. Video analytics software integrates with your surveillance system to automate video monitoring, detect anomalous data and alert your team to suspicious activity.
Video analytics can be extremely beneficial to maximize your security team’s productivity. Your team can attend to other tasks without missing any crucial security threats picked up by your surveillance system.
Mobile Alerts
Your security team can receive mobile alerts based on security triggers with cloud-based surveillance systems. This allows them to stay up-to-date on security events from anywhere and investigate potential threats on their mobile devices for agile and responsive security procedures.
Summary
Consider the benefits of surveillance on your building site. Employing a cloud-based solution will provide your security personnel with a more user-friendly security experience and will offer them the chance to automate security processes and maximize productivity. Preventing theft and property damage on-site is a significant concern, and security cameras provide a solution.
