Top tips to help installers prevent tool theft

WaterSafe recommends following the guidance set out by Secured by Design, the official police security initiative, to help installers keep tools safe and help police return stolen items.

Kevin Wellman, Director of WaterSafe, says: "Having tools stolen can be distressing and costly.  What’s more, thieves will often target the same victims again weeks or months later when the stolen tools have been replaced.

“Sadly, it can be easy for criminals to sell stolen tools online or at boot fairs, so it’s essential all tradespeople follow the steps below to deter would-be criminals, make the tools harder to sell and help the police return them to you if found.

“I recommend following the five steps below from Secured by Design to keep your van and tools safe.”

•  Think before you park – park in well-light areas, ideally with CCTV cameras or visible from where you’re working. Parking with the rear or side doors against a wall or railing will help make sure they can’t be prised open
  
  
• Fit a secure van vault in the rear for expensive power tools – and avoid leaving tools in your van overnight
  
  
• Mark your tools using a Secured by Design-recognised forensic marking kit – and register tools which have a serial number on an SBD approved Tool and Asset database
  
  
• Install an alarm system, which can send SMS alerts if it detects a potential break-in – and use stickers on your van to warn would-be thieves about the alarm
  
  
• Use a GPS tracking system for large or expensive tools – and your van. In April, Kent Police discovered £1 million worth of stolen tools after tracking down one drill fitted with a tracking device

Doug Skins, Secured by Design, said: “The theft of tools continues to be a high-volume crime, attractive to professional gangs and opportunist thieves alike. The impact of thefts like these is not just limited to the cost of replacing the stolen items, as very often the victim cannot work until the tools are replaced, thus suffering even more financial loss and causing considerable disruption to business operations and delays and inconvenience to customers.

“Secured by Design (SBD) has many member companies that specialise in vehicle security to protect both vans and tools. These products range from wheel-clamps and steering wheel locks and internally anchored security boxes through to security marking and forensic coding systems, key fobs and signalling blockers, tool safe vaults, and tracking systems. By layering security with SBD-approved products you can reduce the chances of falling victim to tool theft”.

Further advice on keeping your tools safe, along with details of security products that have achieved the Police Preferred Specification, can be found here.

https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/vehicle-crime/vans-tool-theft

WaterSafe is the national register of approved plumbers and contractors, which provides reassurance to consumers that they are choosing a tradesperson who is competent and qualified in plumbing and the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations which keep tap water safe.

Membership is usually free to plumbers from existing approved contractor schemes: the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC), Anglian Water’s APlus, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), Severn Trent’s WaterMark, the Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation (SNIPEF) and the Water Industry Approved Plumbing Scheme (WIAPS).

Find out more about becoming an WaterSafe approved contractor at www.watersafe.org.uk.