Neighbour’s house under construction? Here are the dangers …
There's more to the construction phase than you might think.
If your neighbour’s house is under construction, it is important to be aware of the dangers that come with the work.
Although contractors working on residential estates generally go through thorough security checks, ADT, which provides security services at many large estates across Johannesburg, warns residents to remain vigilant about their personal security when a neighbour’s house is under construction.
“Contract labourers commonly carry fake identity documents”, said Marcel Pienaar, Residential Estate Manager at ADT.
He went on to say that it’s the sub-contractor’s responsibility to ensure all his workers have the correct documentation. However, some contractors appoint labourers they pick up on the roadside and these people often don’t have legal documents.
“Contract workers have to be pre-registered with security prior to starting on the site and casual labourers are processed by security when they get to site. It’s usually during this pre-registration or processing that we uncover falsified documents,” Pienaar said. He explained that most of these false documents are easily spotted, because they are such poor imitations. A frequent give-away is a mismatch between the ID number and the date of birth.
“When we find false documents, we notify the police, and only hand the document back to the worker if he’s prepared to wait for the police,” he explained.
Why are contract workers a threat to estate residents?
Illegal immigrants are generally employed to work for a fraction of the wage paid to local contract workers. Their fingerprints are not on record, because they are not registered.
Contract workers usually arrive on site after residents leave for work, but before domestic workers arrive. They leave the site again before the residents return and after the domestic workers have left. During the absence of the residents and the domestic workers, alarm systems are generally not armed, and the workers have the opportunity to observe the resident’s movements.
These immigrants have access to ladders and other tools that could help them force doors and windows open. Furthermore, if there’s no supervision, these workers often remain on site overnight to avoid transport costs. This gives them the perfect opportunity to carry out their criminal activities.
Here are a few security tips from ADT:
• Make sure all windows and doors are locked when you leave home.
• If you have an alarm, ensure it’s armed.
• Keep all curtains closed, especially where there is electronic equipment close to windows.
• Report misbehaviour immediately.
• Keep garage doors closed and locked at all times.
• Equip domestic workers with panic buttons in case of an emergency.
“Secure estates are meant to offer a better quality of life and peace of mind to residents. However, these estates are vulnerable to crime and residents shouldn’t rely solely on the access security or electric fencing for their personal safety,” Pienaar concluded.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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