What to keep in mind when picking out fencing for construction?

Keeping security & regulations in mind when choosing construction site fencing is crucial. It not only ensures that your materials and equipment remain safe, but you’re also guaranteeing a safe environment for the surrounding traffic and construction workers.

In this blog, we’re going to cover everything from what fence choices you’ve available to things you must consider.

Choosing the right fencing

Before deciding – you should go through some considerations. Firstly, the fencing you choose highly depends on what’s the project type, how long will it take, and how much daily activity will the site witness.

If your construction site will be storing a substantial number of valuable materials and equipment – investing in low visibility & high-security measures may be your best option.

For example, steel hoarding, which consists of steel panels that provide high levels of privacy and security is perfect for construction. Not only will they work as intrusion deterrents, but they can also keep the surrounding pedestrians safe from moving equipment or flying debris.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for short to medium-term fencing to secure your project – temporary fencing is an excellent choice. Whilst if your construction project is going to take months/years you might be better off investing in more permanent fencing solutions.

You should also consider hiring products rather than making a purchase if you’re working on a shorter time frame. Fortunately – First Fence provides a flexible, easy three step hire online system, supplying you with temporary fencing, steel hoarding, and crowd control barriers for your construction project. This can save you money while providing you with a flexible solution.

Additionally, you should make sure your construction site meets all the health & safety measures. Luckily First Fence can supply you with a range of civil engineering and construction products, as well as health & safety equipment.

Consider the material quality & fence height

In simple terms, the higher the construction site fencing the more security you get out of it. The same applies to the materials.

Ideally, you’ll be looking to purchase fencing that’s around 2-4 meters tall. Although, keep in mind that a two-meter fence is not hard to climb or even jump over for a more athletic person. That can be dealt with by installing anti-climb measures or outright buying a fence that is made to be ‘unclimbable’.

Additionally, you need to consider weather resistance. Especially for a longer project – you can’t predict, nevertheless control the weather. So, make sure the fencing you’re inquiring about is not sensitive to weather. For example, most of your steel products are made from high-quality galvanised steel, which protects the fencing from weather & rust.

Managing surrounding traffic

Traffic is a problem that always needs solving, especially when your construction site is located within a densely populated area. Whether you’re obstructing ongoing traffic or need to make sure to keep pedestrians safe – you should invest in traffic management solutions.

Roadside barriers are one of the options we offer. They can help with managing traffic and separating areas, whilst keeping cars & pedestrians safer. Not only that, but they’re also easy to set up and transport. For instance, chapter 8 plastic barriers can be used on roads, due to their reflective qualities (Class R1).

Moreover, you shouldn’t overlook the traffic management measures for the traffic moving in and out of the construction site. Strategically placing entry/exit points can prevent ‘outside’ traffic disturbance and improve security.

You can learn more about how roadside barriers can help you manage traffic in our previous blog.

Storage & parking

Even though this might not always be a viable option nor applicable to all situations – designating a separate area for parking and the storage material has a lot of benefits.

By dividing material storage from the construction site, you can minimise the traffic flow. As well as, taking care of storing heavy machinery and construction workers’ vehicles. All of this will reduce the amount of space your construction site needs, reduce the disturbance to the surrounding traffic, and make the delivery process smoother.

Also, before any third-party vehicles (deliveries) enter a construction site – certain protocols need to be met. Having an external area to collect deliveries can avoid most of these issues.

For example, you’re building an apartment building in the city centre. There is a high volume of pedestrians & vehicle traffic but your material deliveries to the construction site disturb a popular street. However, if you have a separate area, further away from busy traffic, to collect your deliveries, park vehicles, and store the high amounts of materials that are required for the construction – you can minimise the disturbance you cause to the surrounding area.

Although, you should keep in mind that this might not be the best option for smaller projects, as you’ll need an additional budget to pay for it.

Invest in privacy & additional security measures

If the construction site fencing you’ve invested in is transparent – it might be a good option to use privacy screens or acoustic barriers to increase privacy & noise pollution and prevent vandalism & theft. Temptation and opportunity are some of the biggest factors in spontaneous crimes, but by restricting visibility you’re already doing a lot to avoid these risks.

Additionally, you can utilise privacy screens to publicise your company, project, or even monetise the space as a makeshift advertisement placement. Which can prove to bring in worthwhile revenue. A popular example would be advertising apartments that will be up for rent once the building is finished.

Although, privacy screens can only do so much to protect your construction site. Installing additional security measures like motion sensing lights, security cameras, and warning signs can prove to be extremely beneficial.

Motion sensing lights can keep the construction site well-lit at any time of the day and act as a theft deterrent. Moreover, most modern security cameras can be connected straight to your mobile device – providing you with a 24/7 view of your construction site. And probably the most straightforward way to improve your security is by adding warning signs like ‘the site is monitored at all times’. Don’t underestimate how effective these types of signs are.

Final thoughts

The suggestions we’ve provided will get you started in your considerations and should work as general advice. But often, the requirements for construction sites vary. Not only that but meeting the regulations & laws surrounding construction site management can be difficult if you’re not knowledgeable about them.

Especially for long-term projects, it might be worth hiring a perimeter security expert. They can help you make the best choices for your scenario and ensure that the construction site is as secure as it can be.