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Running your own decorating business can be very rewarding, unfortunately, there are downsides. One of the most serious problems facing trade workers is tool theft. If your business is the victim of crime, it’s a personal hit – one which can leave you unable to work, and financially vulnerable.

Join us on the Trade Decorator Festival as we discuss…

The growing problem of tool theft


Police figures suggest that the theft of tools from tradesmen is a growing problem. In 2017, figures indicated that reports of this type of crime had risen by nearly two-thirds in two years, with a van being broken into, on average, every 23 minutes in the UK.

Overall tool theft insurance claims have risen some 54 per cent in the last two years, with the average claim to the value of £1,684.

With sign written vans, and the vehicle parked outside the job for much of the day, the trades are, of course, particularly vulnerable.

The true cost of tool theft

As a professional decorator, your tools are your livelihood! Spray machines, dustless sanding systems etc, are tools you need to do your job. And as is the case with most professional equipment, those tools don’t come cheap.

A comprehensive tradesman insurance package should cover you for theft of equipment. But no matter how quickly your insurance company covers you, you may still have to wait to replace your equipment and, therefore, be unable to work.

In this discussion we will talk about personal experience and current initiatives and look at how to prevent tool theft from happening to you.

Speakers:

Doug Skins – Secured by Design
Nick Roach – Selectamark
Jon Mears
The discussion has been sponsored by Selectamark, join us for the discussion and find out how you could win a SelectaDNA Tools and Equipment Kit RRP £ 49.58 (exc. VAT)

SelectaDNA Tools and Equipment Kit is a DNA Forensic Property Marking kit designed for tools and equipment. Each kit marks approximately 50 items of equipment and power tools including batteries, drills, impact drivers, angle grinders, circular saws and hand tools.

Brief Description of SelectaDNA

Criminals know that DNA is the police’s most powerful weapon in convicting criminals. Therefore, the DNA fear-factor is highly understood and acts as a huge theft deterrent. Criminals view tools and equipment marked with SelectaDNA as too high risk and are further deterred from stealing them as they have little or no resale value. SelectaDNA is the ultimate theft and burglary deterrent.

Secured by Design (SBD) is the official police security initiative.

SBD has worked with the Government to embed crime prevention into the planning process and establish police security standards in the building and construction industry. Across the UK SBD is delivered by local specialist officers called Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs). These officers work closely with architects, developers and local authority planners at the design stage to design out crime by improving the physical security of buildings and incorporating crime prevention techniques in the layout and landscaping of the immediate surroundings.

On behalf of the UK Police Service, SBD also operates an accreditation scheme for products or services that have met recognised security standards. These products or services – which must be capable of deterring or preventing crime – are known as being of a ‘Police Preferred Specification’.

The SBD website www.securedbydesign.com contains details of the many hundreds of companies who produce over 7000 individual attack resistant crime prevention products in more than 30 different categories that have met the exacting Police Preferred Specification.

SBD is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK.