Friday 8 June 2012

Any Thoughts On Security?

Yesterday I learnt that someone my brother works with had their tools stolen. Although I know this is a common occurrence, it really bothers me. How could someone remove the means by which this guy supports his young family and pays his mortgage?
Useful padlock
Apparently they took the lot, and it got me thinking about my tools and how dependant I am on them to earn my living. As well as this I also learnt today that a building firm I sometimes work for had their yard and offices broken into with computers and tools stolen.
Thinking "It'll never happen to me" is the wrong way to look at the problem, so is "if they want to get in, they'll get in" that people often quote when you talk about the subject.
When you're at work in a city or town you have to accept there's a risk. When I was working in Birmingham I even got into the habit of putting a magnetic "Window Cleaning" sign on the back of the van, figuring that a thief was much less likely to want to break into a window cleaners van containing a bucket and sponge, than a carpenters with tools. Unfortunately that doesn't look very professional so could only be used when I was parked in "dodgy" areas.
What tips and ideas have other people got for keeping their tools safe and secure either on site or at home. I'll be keen to read any ideas people have got.

5 comments:

  1. We have a couple of noisy dogs, one being a English Bull Terrier. He's a friendly lovely dog, but will bark fiercely at sounds I can't even make out. I'm hoping he's a good deterent. I don't believe in lighting the outside of the house at night, I think it just makes it easier for burglars to see what they're doing. Who keeps an eye outside? I think it's more visible is a burglar has to use a torch in the dark, than providing lights for his H&S and comfort... So: darness, noisy gravel paths and noisy dogs are my receipe!

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  2. OOps should have benn "darkness"

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  3. Nice baler twine hasp for the padlock Kev it might catch on. I remember when I worked as a forester on a large estate we were cutting dead elms along a road verge. We had nice shiny, new men at work tree cutting sign's on each side of the road after lunch we were tidying up and when we went to pick up our nice new signs both were gone they must have been very quick. In our yard the local blacksmith made us a big work bench with a metal vault underneath with welded boxes over the hasp and staple so no cutter or grinder could cut the padlock only a hand with a key 12 chainsaws lived in there .You could have a couple of geese around your holding,and one gaurding your van could cause a stir on site :)

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  4. Cheers for the replies guys.
    I've thought about getting a gaurd dog many times but the wife keeps putting it off and she's worried that with a young baby around it would be something else to clean up after! We are getting a dog sometime soon though but as for what breed I'm not sure, something quite big! As for the geese that was the one condition that she made me agree to when we bought this smallholding - no geese (but I am working on that one!).
    I was going to put some lighting up on the house but just over the van, but you do make a good point joel. I'm a light sleeper anyway and always wake (even if a squirrel farts) and with noisy gravel on our drive as well we're be fine when we're here and we've got good neigbours who keep a look out for us also.
    A welded stong box isn't a bad idea but I've got an idea for something much bigger in the future...

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  5. Sharp idea on the "window cleaning" sign. I'll have to pass this along to a carpenter friend of mine.

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