22 FEATURE
Tools and tooling
By
Rory Macnamara
Tool theft every 15 minutes !
New analysis of police force data from Direct Line business insurance reveals that tools were stolen every 15 minutes in 2022 across England , Wales , and Northern Ireland . In 2022 , there were 35,098 incidents of tool theft reported to police forces , a 13 % increase from 2021 .
In 2022 , 19,147 cases of tool theft specifically from a vehicle were reported . This makes up 55 % of all tool theft cases in the year . A tool theft occurred from a vehicle every 27 minutes in 2022 , which equates to a 10 % increase in incidents from the previous year .
Additional research from Direct Line business insurance found that the average value of tradespeople ’ s tools that had been taken from their vehicle was GBP3 425 . This equates to a combined loss of GBP66m , from the 19 147 cases of tool theft from vehicles in 2022 .
Thefts reported to London ’ s Metropolitan Police represented
58 % of all cases and London also came out on top when the population density of the jurisdictions was considered .
Alison Traboulsi , product manager at Direct Line business insurance , said : “ The rising frequency of tool theft up and down the country is alarming . Our research shows that over half of all tool thefts occurred from a vehicle , highlighting the importance of keeping tools secure , as well as having the correct insurance in place if theft does occur .
“ Tool theft is hugely disruptive for hardworking tradespeople who rely on their tools for their livelihoods , so it ’ s vital that they do all they can to help protect themselves . We would encourage tradespeople to take steps to help secure their tools , such as parking their vehicle in a safe , well-lit location , fitting additional locks , or installing an alarm system and forensically marking their tools .
“ At Direct Line , we know the impact of tool theft can be devastating and we ’ re committed to giving tradespeople the protection they need to enable them to do what they do best . We offer flexible insurance cover options allowing tradespeople to build a policy which covers their specific insurance needs , whether that ’ s cover for during the day at work or tools locked in a vehicle overnight .”
Above extracted from HPM Monthly , UK , 17 May 2023
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1 - 5 : A selection of some tools .
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline July 2023 Volume 29 I Number 5