Think like a thief? Contractor equipment safety

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I recently read an insurance industry article titled "Lessons from and equipment thief" , and they discussed what would probably be tips from thieves, if they were that forthcoming, regarding the theft of contractor's equipment stored overnight at job sites. According to the article, thieves most fear being caught when stealing, storing or moving equipment. The risk of being caught while selling the equipment is low because frequently equipment owners forget to record serial numbers and buyers of used equipment tend not to check titles. The article also referenced the pointless setting up of security procedures that are too complex or not regularly checked since thieves tend to watch and wait until security starts to become lax. Another factor would be employees of the contractor. They are the ones usually responsible for the implementation of security and it is key to give them incentives to help with this responsibility. Lastly, and perhaps most important, if you don't record serial numbers it's pretty much a given that stolen equipment won't be recovered.
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