Security Questioning Tactics for Your Construction Site

Daytime security is an often-overlooked aspect of construction site security. To keep unauthorized “visitors” off your site some security experts recommend that everyone be required to wear a standard uniform. This is good to some extent, but nothing - and I mean nothing - beats the good old QUESTION as a first line of defense.

Training your on-site staff to ask good questions the instant they get suspicious will ward off daytime theft by unauthorized “visitors.”

A strong line of questioning:
The question “Do you work here?” is too easy, and it’s a yes/no question. Train your on-site staff to get a little bit more invasive with people they don’t recognize.

Further, it’s important that they move from the general to the more specific. This helps to root out those who have invaded your job site “under cover.”

So instead of “Do you work here?” Train your crew to ask a series of questions along these lines:

1) “Who do you work for here?
2) “What do you do for that sub contractor?”
3) “When did you and your sub come on the site?”

The third question could - and should - be even more specific than that. But be sure to ask questions that only that subcontractor’s crew would know, as it’s likely that the person posing as an authorized visitor will know a thing or two about the profession he claims.

If the person you’re questioning hesitates, tries to change the subject, provides bizarre answers or gets overly defensive the questioner may have reason to contact authorities. If the person provides quick, simple and assured answers then this person belongs on the site.

Questions can be one of your most powerful forms of security on your job site, especially during the day time. If you’d like to read more about security questioning then read The Most Powerful Weapon – Asking a Good Question at Security Info Watch.