Interface

Winter 2022 41 Locate inside a security gate or cage: A good quality, robust fence or cage will help make life di cult for thieves. Install outdoor security lighting: Positioning your tank in the bright light is an e ective solution worth considering. With the majority of thieves striking at night, installing automatic security lighting will help stop criminals from targeting your fuel tank. Low energy dusk ‘til dawn lights are a low-cost option to protect your expensive fuels and oils. Install CCTV: Installing visible CCTV cameras on your premises can dissuade anyone from targeting your tank as well as catch a thief in the act, providing the police with the evidence needed to bring justice to those who choose to ignore the deterrent. Put up signage: Signs to highlight the security measures you’ve installed can help deter those up to no good. ese could include: Private property, keep out, Warning CCTV in operation, All vehicles are left with minimum fuel, Security patrols in operation, All vehicles tted with security devices. Consider installing a steel tank: Steel tanks are studier than plastic tanks which makes fuel theft more di cult. Fuel protection systems have also been developed in response to the rising threat. For example, PID Systems, a division of the SmartWater Group, has developed a combined fuel protection solution which includes rapid deployment of self- monitored camera systems and intrusion detection units for 24/7 surveillance and veri ed monitoring. is solution is currently deployed across 18 sites across the UK and is already proving e ective. Recently, a customer saved 2,000 litres of fuel worth approximately £4,000, thanks to technology alerting them to the presence of an intruder. F ollowing a theft in the middle of the night a Kubota U10 was stolen from a site inWarrington. ankfully the machine was installed with an AMI tracking solution which provided the customer with frequent positions highlighting the machine’s movements throughout the night. When the customer arrived on site, they noticed that the machine was no longer present, they then alerted the hirer who noti ed AMI Group of the theft at 8:40am. e group was able to provide an up to date position to the customer (which is also available via the online platform/ mobile apps) 10 miles from the site the machine was working on. e customer decided to head to the position and recovered their Kubota U10 from a eld just 40 minutes after the machine was reported stolen to AMI Group. e asset was back out on hire that same day. Plant theft is an ever-increasing problem for the plant-hire industry, with an estimated £100 million+ of plant stolen per annum. AMI Group works closely with all customers to nd a best solution to t their requirements and aid in the ght against theft and has won awards for the solutions it provides, and recovery rates throughout the UK. << AMI Group reports how machine was recovered in less than an hour. STOLEN AT 8:40AM RECOVERED AT 9:20AM