Construction Site Surveillance: Needed Now More than Ever

Jon Jones ● Dec 24 ● 11 min read

Construction sites can be chaotic and dangerous environments, with a lot of activity and potential hazards. That’s why it’s important to have a system in place for surveillance and safety. In this blog post, we’ll explore the security challenges faced by construction companies as well as the benefits of construction site surveillance.

Security Challenges Faced at Construction Sites

Construction sites can present a range of security challenges, including theft, vandalism, and trespassing. Some common security challenges faced at construction sites include:

1. Theft of Tools and Equipment: The high-value tools and equipment used on construction sites can be attractive targets for thieves.
2. Vandalism: Construction sites often have vandalism, whether it’s graffiti, damage to materials or equipment, or other forms of destruction.
3. Trespassing: Unsecured construction sites may be accessed by outsiders, potentially leading to accidents or injuries.
4. Accidents: Without proper security measures in place, construction sites can be prone to accidents, such as falls or collisions.

Overall, construction sites face a range of security challenges that can impact the safety of workers and the success of the project. Implementing effective security measures can help mitigate these risks and protect the site

The Benefits of Construction Site Surveillance

Construction site surveillance can offer a range of benefits for contractors, project managers, and workers. Some of the top benefits include:

1. Improved Safety: With surveillance cameras in place, workers can be more aware of their surroundings and potential hazards. This can help prevent accidents and injuries on the job site.
2. Enhanced Security: Surveillance cameras can also deter crime and protect against theft or vandalism.
3. Better Project Management: Surveillance footage can provide valuable insights into the progress of a construction project, allowing project managers to identify bottlenecks and make necessary adjustments.
4. Documentation: Surveillance footage can also serve as documentation for insurance purposes or in case of disputes.

Overall, construction site surveillance can help improve safety, security, efficiency, and documentation on a construction site.

An Introduction to Verkada: Construction Site Surveillance

Here at Monarch, we’re here to help you secure your construction site(s) with construction site surveillance. Together, we will design, implement, and oversee a security infrastructure for both safety and convenience.

Verkada offers a wide range of security products, including facial recognition cameras, access control, intrusion sensors and professional monitoring. All Verkada devices integrate with each other and are managed from a single cloud dashboard. Consider the following features of all Verkada devices:

Simple to Use

• Solid-state Storage (SSD): No NVR, DVR, or server is required. This means you pay for what you use – and that’s all. This reduces any extra overhead operations and the associated expenses,
• Regular, Automatic Software Updates: No need to worry about if your devices are working properly or are up-to-date with our Verkada devices.
• Simple Plug-and-Play Install: Just a standard Ethernet cable is required for the cameras to be brought online and fully operational within minutes.
• Accessible Anywhere, Anytime: Access archived or live feed videos on any device or browser
• Floor Plan: Quickly respond to incidents with real-time motion plotting. 

Scalable

• Unlimited Storage on Camera and Cloud: Reduce your organizations’ liability risk with unlimited cloud archiving offered by Verkada cameras.
• Unlimited Users Allowed: You can easily authorize admins access to an unlimited number of users.
• Infinitely Scalable: No matter how large the facility is, we can help you keep everyone on the same page. 

Limitlessly Smart

• AI-Based Video Analytics: Face detection, person of interest detection, and license plate detection are all available.
• Live Alerts: Receive instant alerts in any meaningful event
• Shareable Live Feeds: Share your live feed via SMS. This is useful as you can send it to first responders in case of an emergency for dramatically reduced response time.
• 10-Year Warranty: Rest assured that your money is well protected
• Time lapse: Watch a day of footage in under 30 seconds with timelapses.

Construction Site Surveillance: An Overview of Verkada’s Cloud-Based Cameras

Verkada offers technology that is secure and easy to use for users seeking cameras for secure construction site surveillance. The set-up is simple: once a device is installed, it is online and fully operational within just a few minutes.

Additionally, Verkada offers security cameras that are thoughtfully designed for construction sites. The cameras have a durable design, firmware signing, and can detect tampering. Choose the security cameras that fit your needs and ensure safety.

Verkada offers a variety of security cameras for construction site surveillance to meet your security needs including: the Verkada Indoor Dome Series, the Verkada Outdoor Dome Series, the Verkada Bullet Series, the Verkada Mini Series, and Verkada Fisheye Series.

Verkada Indoor Dome Series

The Verkada Indoor Dome Camera is designed for indoor, high-traffic areas. It is the perfect general-purpose high resolution security camera. There are three models in the Indoor Dome Series: CD42, CD52, and C62.

	CD42	CD52	CD62
Type	Indoors	Indoors	Indoors
Image Resolution	5MP	5MP	4K
Type of Lens	Fixed, with 3x Zoom Digitally	Zoom, with 3x Optical and Digital Zoom	Zoom, with 3x Optical and Digital Zoom
Standard Retention	Up to 365 Days	Up to 365 Days	Up to 90 Days
Standard Storage	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB
Audio	Yes	Yes	Yes
IR Range	15m	30m	30m
Rating	IK08	IK08	IK08

The Verkada Outdoor Dome Series

The Verkada Outdoor Dome Series is both weather- and tamper-resistant.  Its capabilities function well even in areas with limited bandwidth and connectivity. They are perfect for monitoring the parking lot, the exterior of buildings (e.g., to capture key license plates), and even construction sites. There are three models in the Outdoor Dome Series: CD42-E, CD52-E, and C62-E.

	CD42-E	CD52-E	CD62-E
Type	Outdoors	Outdoors	Outdoors
Image Resolution	5MP	5MP	4K
Type of Lens	Fixed, with 3x Zoom Digitally	Zoom, with 3x Optical and Digital Zoom	Zoom, with 3x Optical and Digital Zoom
Standard Retention	Up to 365 Days	Up to 365 Days	Up to 90 Days
Standard Storage	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB
Audio	Yes	Yes	Yes
IR Range	15m	30m	30m
Rating	IK10 & IP67	IK10 & IP67	IK10 & IP67

The Verkada Bullet Series

The Verkada Bullet Series is an ideal high resolution security camera. It is built to withstand harsh environments, making it ideal for construction site surveillance. The Verkada Bullet camera is available in two lens types: wide angle and telephoto. There are four models in the Bullet Series: CB51-E, CB61-E, CB51-TE, CB61-TE.

	CB51-E	CB51-TE	CB61-E	CB61-TE
Type	Indoor and/or Outdoor	Indoor and/or Outdoor	Indoor and/or Outdoor	Indoor and/or Outdoor
Image Resolution	5MP	5MP	4K	4K
Type of Lens	Zoom, with up to 3x Optical and Digital zoom	Telephoto Zoom, with 8-20mm focal length	Zoom, with up to 3x Optical and Digital zoom	Telephoto Zoom, with 8-20mm focal length
Standard Retention	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB
Standard Storage	Up to 365 Days	Up to 365 Days	Up to 90 Days	Up to 90 Days
Audio	–	–	–	–
IR Range	30m	50m	30m	50m
Rating	IK10 & IP167	IK10 & IP167	IK10 & IP167	IK10 & IP167

The Verkada Mini Series

The Verkada Mini Series offers flexibility and high resolution resolution for crystal clear footage. The Mini Camera is a compact size that can fit any space, anywhere indoors. There are three models in the Mini Series: CM41-S, CM41, and CM41-E.

	CM41-S	CM41	CM41-E
Type	Indoor	Indoor	Outdoor
Image Resolution	5MP	5MP	5MP
Type of Lens	Fixed, with up to 3x Digital Zoom	Fixed, with up to 3x Digital Zoom	Fixed, with up to 3x Digital Zoom
Standard Retention	Up to 90 days	Up to 365 Days	Up to 365 Days
Standard Storage	Up to 385GB	Up to 2TB	Up to 2TB
Audio	–	Yes	–
IR Range	N/A	15m	15m
Rating	N/A	IK08	IK10 & IP67

The Verkada Fisheye Camera

The Verkada Fisheye Camera provides a panoramic view of the entire property – both indoor and outdoor. This camera allows for total surveillance monitoring of construction sites.

	Fisheye CF81-E
Type	Indoor and/or Outdoor
Image Resolution	12MP
Type of Lens	Fixed, with 3x Digital Zoom
Standard Retention	Maximum of 90 Days of Standard Quality Retention
Standard Storage	Up to 2TB of Onboard Storage
IR Range	20M
Angle of View	180°
Rating	IK10 and IP67
Audio	Yes
NDAA Compliant	Yes
Analytics	Ambarella Chipset for People and Vehicle Analytics
Viewing Modes	Panoramic; Four–Way Split; Pan-Tilt–Zoom

The Verkada Fisheye Camera (CF81-E) is an ideal high resolution security camera for construction site surveillance. With the option to switch between circle, ePTZ, 2-view, 3-view, or 4-view modes on the CF81-E, you can do away with the need for multiple camera installations. You can also take advantage of features like digital pan-tilt-zoom to increase coverage and lessen blind spots.

Three different view modes are supported by the CF81-E. You can customize the view mode to meet the requirements of the install location.

• 180° Panoramic: A wide-angle view that is ideal for an open area or a corridor.
• Four-way split: Use a single camera to watch four distinct fields of view.
• Pan-tilt-zoom (ePTZ): Provides a panoramic, all-encompassing view of your environment.

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Construction Site Surveillance: How Edge-Based Video Analytics Work

Construction site surveillance with Verkada is made easy due to edge-based video analytics. Edge-based video analytics is a cutting edge technology that uses advanced algorithms to detect and track suspicious activity in real time. The processing power for analyzing video footage resides on the devices themselves, rather than being handled by a remote server. This provides several advantages, including faster response times and improved privacy and security. So, when an incident is detected, the system will automatically alert security personnel so that they can take appropriate action.

All in all, this type of system can provide a high level of security by constantly scanning for suspicious activity and flagging potential threats. While there is no foolproof way to prevent every possible crime, edge-based video analytics can help to greatly reduce the risk.

Construction Site Surveillance: How Remote Surveillance Works

Construction site surveillance is especially effective in deterring crime when there is a professional security officer monitoring your construction site 24/7. Remote surveillance systems are a great way for businesses to protect their investments while also keeping their employees and customers safe. With these systems in place, construction companies can rest assured knowing their sites are safe and secure.

However, not all security systems come with remote surveillance services. For this reason, it is crucial to actively look for security systems that offer such services by trained security personnel. With Verkada’s Alarm license and installation of security cameras, you can rest easy knowing that your facility in is protected with office building remote surveillance services. But how precisely does real-time video surveillance work?

Step 1: Choose the Cameras for Construction Site Surveillance

You begin by determining which cameras will be watched and at what times. Verkada’s high-tech AI analytics then notify on-call security personnel whenever a human is detected at the scene. Access control and intrusion sensors are just two examples of the other Verkada devices that can trigger alarms.

Step 2: Security Officer Checks for Danger

Second, when an alarm goes off, the people who are watching the live video feed will look at the footage to see if anything is in immediate danger.

Step 3: Security Officer Responds to Incidents

Ultimately, if there is a real danger, the monitoring agent will immediately contact the customer’s call list. In the event of an emergency, customers can also request that agents contact the appropriate authorities. The agent avoids unnecessary alarms by disregarding the situation if it poses no immediate risk. The Verkada agents in charge of your building’s live video monitoring services will essentially (1) spot suspicious behavior, (2) look into the matter, and (3) take charge if an emergency occurs.

Monarch: Your Trusted Security Vendor for Construction Site Surveillance

In short, construction site surveillance is an important tool for improving safety, security, efficiency, and documentation on a construction site. With the right surveillance technology in place, contractors, project managers, and workers can better monitor and manage the job site, reducing the risk of accidents, crime, and inefficiencies. While implementing surveillance may require an initial investment, it can ultimately save time and money, as well as protect the well-being of workers and the success of the project. It’s important to carefully consider the specific needs and goals of a construction project when selecting the appropriate surveillance technology, and to follow best practices for its use and management. Monarch is here to help you get your construction site surveillance system started!

Updated: Dec 24