SIA-licensed & vetted
Directly-employed officers, SIA-licensed and BS 7858 vetted, on a controlled gatehouse with sign-in and vehicle checks.
Ashridge Security · Construction sites
Construction Site Security
SIA-licensed guarding, gatehouse access control and mobile patrols that protect construction sites from theft, vandalism and unauthorised access, across the UK.
What you get
How Ashridge secures construction sites.
Out-of-hours cover
24/7 guarding and mobile patrols for nights, weekends and shutdowns, when sites are most exposed.
Managed CCTV
Redeployable tower cameras and remote monitoring, arranged and managed with accredited specialist partners.
CDM & HSE compliant
Perimeter, access control and public protection aligned to CDM 2015, the HSE and Secured by Design.
In detail
What is construction site security?
Construction site security is the mix of people, procedures and technology that protects a building site from theft, vandalism, arson and unauthorised access. On a live site that usually means SIA-licensed officers controlling who comes and goes, out-of-hours guarding or mobile patrols, managed CCTV and a secure perimeter, set up to meet a contractor’s legal duties and an insurer’s requirements.
Why construction sites are targeted
Building sites hold high-value, portable assets — tools, materials, plant, fuel and metal — often on open ground that changes shape week to week. Most theft happens when nobody is there: PIB Insurance reports that weekends, night-time and holiday periods are the most vulnerable times, and that less than 10% of stolen plant is ever recovered. Research by the Chartered Institute of Building has found that theft and vandalism affect the large majority of UK sites, with tools and materials the most common targets.
The risk is not only commercial. The Health and Safety Executive warns that children are drawn to construction sites as places to play, so an unsecured site is a safety liability as well as a theft target.
Your legal duties: CDM 2015, the HSE and the SIA
Securing a site is a legal obligation, not just good practice. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, contractors must keep sites in good order and take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access. The HSE expects defined boundaries, typically a two-metre fence or hoarding in populated areas, with the site secured at the end of each day and plant immobilised to keep the public out.
Anyone guarding a site against theft or unauthorised access under a contract must hold a valid SIA licence; deploying unlicensed officers is a criminal offence. Every Ashridge officer is SIA-licensed and BS 7858 vetted.
How we secure your site
We build security around your site, its risk and its programme, following police-backed guidance from the National Business Crime Centre and Secured by Design. Typical measures include:
- SIA-licensed manned guarding and a controlled gatehouse, with sign-in, visitor management and vehicle checks.
- Out-of-hours and weekend guarding or mobile patrols for the times sites are most exposed.
- Managed CCTV and remote monitoring, including redeployable tower cameras, arranged with accredited specialist partners.
- Advice on perimeter hoarding, access control, lighting and plant and tool marking to deter and detect intruders.
Cover scales across the project, rising when valuable plant and materials are on site or when work stops for holidays and shutdowns.
How Ashridge delivers construction site security
We have secured some of the UK’s largest construction projects. On the £1.5bn A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme, then the country’s biggest construction project, we took over a struggling security contract across 14 compounds and recovered it within weeks, providing 24/7 manned guarding. Our officers are directly employed, SIA-licensed and BS 7858 vetted, supported by a 24/7 control room, and we are an SIA Approved Contractor certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
We cover construction and infrastructure sites nationwide from our Buckinghamshire base. See the areas we cover, our manned guarding service, or waking watch for fire-safety cover on higher-risk buildings.
Frequently asked questions
Anyone guarding a site against theft or unauthorised access under a contract must by law hold an SIA licence. CCTV is a strong deterrent when correctly installed and monitored, but it works best alongside licensed officers and access control rather than on its own. We advise on the right mix for your site and risk.
Under CDM 2015 you must keep the site in good order and take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access. The HSE expects a defined, fenced or hoarded boundary, usually around two metres high in populated areas, with the site secured at the end of each day and plant immobilised. You also have a duty to protect the public, including trespassers and children.
Responsibility for protecting the public, including trespassers and children, rests with the duty-holder under health and safety law, so an unsecured site can lead to prosecution as well as loss. Securing the perimeter, excluding access and immobilising plant at the end of each day are the HSE's expected steps, and professional security helps you evidence them.
A manned guard gives a visible, on-site presence that can challenge intruders, control access and respond immediately. A CCTV tower provides monitored coverage that can be moved as the site evolves, and is often cost-effective for dispersed or lower-risk sites. Many sites combine both, with guarding at peak-risk times and CCTV in between.
We typically mobilise within 24 hours of instruction, and often the same day for urgent cover, through our 24/7 control room on 0800 085 5022.
Layered measures work best: a controlled gatehouse and access control, out-of-hours guarding or patrols, managed CCTV, secure storage and compounds, good lighting, and marking plant and tools so they can be traced. Because less than 10% of stolen plant is recovered, deterrence and prevention matter far more than reaction.
Protect your site
Cover from groundworks to handover.
Tell us about your site and programme and we’ll respond within one working day, with short-notice mobilisation where you need it.