Page 34 - CITS Theft Guide

CITS Guide for Theft Prevention
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Annex C — Examples of Best Practice in Positioning and Securing
Equipment
The following examples, drawn from CITS members' own sites, illustrate good practice in securing plant
and portable stores overnight, and the consequence of not doing so.
A registered and marked item of construction plant.
Trailer and tow-hitch locks reduce the risk of removal; where practical, use the machine bucket to protect
the tow hitch as a further obstruction. When leaving equipment overnight, secure small portable items
beneath the boom arms of mini-excavators and apply immobilisers or hydraulic locks. Where equipment
is not going to be used for a period, avoid leaving more fuel in the tank than necessary.
By securing items of equipment together, using immobilisers and hydraulic locks with chain and padlocks,
and activating all electronic and movement alert devices, either item becomes far harder to lift or drag
away. Chains should be lifted clear of the ground to resist bolt croppers, and good-quality approved chains
and padlocks should be used throughout.
Conversely, a machine left unlocked, with no electronic security fitted, no marking or registration scheme,
and no hitch lock installed, can be stolen within seconds — an expensive and entirely avoidable mistake.
Ignition keys should always be removed when equipment is not in use.