The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2013 - Issue 30 | Page 66

FARM SECURITY

THE KEY TO COUNTERING FARM THEFT
Tina Hughan,
Head of
Marketing for
ASSA ABLOY
UK, one of the
world’s leading
lock and security
companies,
discusses
options for
improving farm
security.
The latest Rural Crime
Survey 2013 by NFU
Mutual highlights the
problems farmers face
from theft across the
country with an estimated
total cost of £42.3million
a year, identifying
Yorkshire, Essex, Kent and
Lincolnshire as the most
affected.
Tools, quad bikes, fuel,
machinery and garden
equipment are the top five
most stolen items, with
livestock thefts dropping down
to sixth place and vehicles,
tractors, trailers and metal
completing the rural crime top
ten.
For some of these items,
there are specialist solutions,
such as systems that
immobilise the engine on
vehicles and tractors, or
trackers that can be fitted to
at least help with tracing and
recovery.
There is also hope that the
recent changes to the scrap
metal legislation will also curb
some of the most damaging
thefts, where metal items are
stolen not for their re-sale
value but simply to be melted
down.

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Oct/Nov 2013 FarmersMart

Theft of fuel tends to be
from diesel or heating oil
tanks and fitting a durable
padlock and chain to the
valves is a good first step,
although admittedly this does
not prevent thieves bypassing
the valve and puncturing the
tank with a screwdriver or
similar instrument to drain off
the fuel.
The common factor with
many of the other items
is that they are relatively
portable, especially tools,
garden equipment and certain
items of machinery, and they
are often left in unsecured
areas.
Now, no one wants to turn
a farm or a rural enterprise
into the equivalent of a high
security prison. High metal
fencing, CCTV cameras
mounted on every building,
floodlighting and high decibel
alarm systems are all available
and, in certain critical security
or safety situations, may be
the only real choice.

But for most farmers a sense
of freedom and openness is a
very important part of the rural
way of life.
So, what can you do to deter
thieves and protect your tools
and machinery without turning
your farm into a fortress?
At ASSA ABLOY Security
Solutions, we recommend a
simple 5-stage security plan:
ASSESS ALL THE RISKS
Stage 1 is the risk
assessment. Simply identify
the items of equipment that are
most likely to be a target for
thieves, then itemise and value
them. This is good practice
for insurance purposes and
in these days of “a camera in
every phone” even taking a
quick snapshot of equipment
and storing the file is a
good idea. Putting a clear
identification mark on valuable
tools is also a good idea; either
stamp a mark carefully with a
metal punch or even use a dab
of paint.

PRIORITISE YOUR
SECURITY
Stage 2 is to be honest
with yourself about the way
you really work. Consider: are
you honestly going to put that
wrench, chainsaw or welding
gear back in its right place
every night? So, prioritise
securing the most valuable
items or the ones that would
be most difficult to replace in
a hurry.
DECIDE ON YOUR
‘HURDLE RATE’
Stage 3: Decide on the
‘hurdle rate’ for the most
important items. This simply
means how many barriers or
hurdles are you going to put in
the way of a thief? How long
will it take them to jump each
hurdle and what action can
you take if the alarm is raised
at any ‘hurdle’?
You may have a valuable
tool which lives in a toolbox,
which has a quality padlock,
and the toolbox is locked at

To read more, visit www.farmers-mart.co.uk