Securing Your Building Site with Temporary Fencing

It’s a fact, building sites are messy places…

Debris, machinery, tools, scaffolding, all of these things can create a valid hazard in open spaces where the building site meets public area. People are inquisitive beings and can’t help but inspect their surroundings and that includes building sites. The threat of theft from building sites is also very high when you have tooling and machinery stored in the site space.

How do I make my building site secure and safe?

The use of temporary fencing to guard a building site is a much used and responsible practice. In some states it is a legal requirement to properly fence a building site of a specific size. Temporary fencing doesn’t just create a barrier to secure the building site; it also prevents the threat of potential hazards spilling out into walk ways and traffic areas.

Hazard prevention

Debris from building sites can cause serious damage to people and property if it isn’t properly contained. Insurance companies insist on guarding against this with the use of temporary fencing and even sometimes banner meshes or shade cloth before they will cover for public liability.

What do I need?

Most temporary fencing panels are of either 3 or 4 mm welded mesh; the smaller the mesh gaps, the harder it is to climb. Some feature hand welded joins for extra strength and galvanised panels are more durable and designed to outlive regular panels, especially in areas of extreme heat or in bay or sea side areas where the salt content in the air is higher.

Temporary fencing isn’t just about the thickness of the mesh or the strength of the panel, the type of feet and clamps you use can also enhance the security factor and make it harder for the site to be accessed. Concrete blowmoulded feet should weight about 28-30kg, not easy to move when combined with the weight of the panel (about 18-20kg). The panels should be clamped together securely at the top with the nut facing the inside of the site to make it harder to get to for a would-be intruder.

Most temporary fencing providers will also have lockable gates for site entry in a range of sizes dependant on the requirements of the site.  Having a lockable entry way means limiting entry to the building site to authorised personnel and can work as a deterrent to anyone attempting to break in.

Privacy

Using printed banner mesh or shade cloth is also a great tip for enhancing privacy and limiting dispersion of debris on the building site. Opting for a full colour print means you can use a darker background colour to limit visibility into the site itself. Banner mesh and high percentage shade cloth will be a fine enough weave to inhibit dust and dirt from blowing into walk ways and traffic areas.  Printing your company logo on the banner meshes or shade cloth is also a great way to advertise your business!

Ultimately the security of your building site and your ability to obtain insurance for your tooling and equipment is going to be greatly increased by the use of temporary fencing products. You are protecting against hazards to the general public and covering yourself and your property.