How to Prevent Generator Theft in Your Business
To prevent generator theft in your business, ensure it’s locked behind a steel cage, secured in a well-ventilated structure, marked/etched with your business logo, and tracked. The best results come from a combination of traditional and advanced security measures. Not only do they help you save on replacement costs, but they also ensure you keep downtime minimised.
Businesses across Namibia are increasingly facing the challenge of equipment theft, particularly as reliance on backup power solutions such as generators continues to grow due to recurring electricity supply disruptions.
With frequent power instability linked to the national grid, many organisations have had to invest significantly in generators to maintain operations during outages from the NamPower network.
As a result, protecting this critical equipment has become essential. Generator theft protection should therefore be treated as a key component of operational risk management and included in business budgets to safeguard continuity and minimise financial losses.
Let us guide you through the dos and don’ts of generator security. Read our blog to understand why thieves target energy equipment, get insights on the best protection methods, and see how Cartrack can become your partner in generator tracking & safety.
What can you do to protect your generator from being stolen?
To protect your generator from being stolen, you should:
- Track the asset
- Secure it in a well-ventilated structure
- Keep it locked behind a steel frame
- Add high-quality chains and locks
- Reinforce security and protection measures around your building
- Permanently mark/etch your generator with the brand logo
- Anchor your generator (if it’s a fixed structure)
Bringing together a combination of traditional security methods with advanced technological ones is what could save you from disappearing generators.
Traditional and practical solutions
To protect your generator using traditional and practical solutions, consider the following:
- 🍃Secure the generator in a well-ventilated structure: Keep your generator hidden and away from prying eyes within a closed structure, like a shed. The structure MUST be well ventilated, positioned away from your workers, and (if applicable) far from your personal property.
In the process of creating energy, generators produce carbon monoxide, which can be extremely lethal. They can also potentially overheat.
- ⛓️Keep the generator locked behind a steel frame: A steel frame or cage is a straightforward method to keep your generator protected, especially if it’s a type of steel that’s reinforced and created with strong welds.
- 🔩Anchor the generator: In addition to locking the generator, fixing your generator to the ground makes it that much harder to steal. This can be done by securing the cage or using concrete anchors.
- 🔐Add high-quality chains and locks: Use high-grade, heavy-duty chains and locks to secure the steel cage that the generator’s in. This might seem like a very obvious and not too secure method, but it’ll still add that extra layer and make stealing it that much harder.
- ✍️Permanently mark/etch your generator: If your generator is clearly and permanently marked with your business logo or serial numbers, this makes it far more difficult for thieves to resell it. Buyers will suspect that what’s being sold is stolen and may not want to purchase the item.
Advanced security measures
To protect your generator using advanced security measures, consider the following:
- 📍Track the generator: Use a portable or asset tracker for your generator. If some thieves do manage to run off with it, then you have a good chance of getting it back if you’ve partnered with a reliable tracking company, much like Cartrack.
- ⏺️ Reinforce security and protection measures around your building: Up the security and camera presence around your business’ grounds. Consider motion cameras, sophisticated alarm & tamper systems, electric fences, and access control or biometric systems.
Why is generator security and safety important for your business?
Generator security and safety are important for your business because not only are they a necessary component to keeping your business going, but they also encourage you to take responsibility for your setup. Generators work by burning fuel (usually diesel) to produce electricity, and this process generates carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it’s a silent killer. It’s odourless and colourless, so you don’t always know it’s present unless you have a carbon monoxide detector. It can also quickly become an electrical or fire hazard if you don’t handle your generator properly, and the last thing you want is to injure yourself or another staff member.
Keeping your generator secure keeps your business going and downtime minimised. This results in numerous benefits, like happy customers through operational consistency, keeping profits up, and general overall improved security in your business.
Why do thieves target generators and other business equipment?
Thieves target generators and other business equipment because it can be an easy and rewarding opportunity. The biggest reason is the large profit; typical business equipment and generators can be resold in second-hand markets for very high prices.
Reseller thieves also make it easy for buyers to purchase the stolen equipment, selling without the hassle of thorough verification.
Thieves also tend to take advantage of bigger warehouses or facilities because equipment isn’t always looked after properly, or the site is just a little more vulnerable with numerous entry points. If your generator or equipment isn’t permanently marked with a business logo, number, or name, this makes it even easier for thieves to resell.
Make sure you implement all the safety measures possible to maximise your risk management.
How can Cartrack help you keep your generators protected?
Cartrack can help you keep your generators protected by offering the Cartrack Tag. The Tag is a portable tracking and backup anti-jamming device that can be used in vehicles and for asset tracking. It’s perfect for your generators because it’s discreet and wireless, making it tough for thieves to make off with them without us knowing—even if they try.
The Cartrack Tag is completely unaffected by signal jamming, which is a technique that many thieves use to steal vehicles and other GPS-tracked assets. This is because the Tag doesn’t depend on cellular networks; it operates on its own radio frequency.
How does the Cartrack Tag work?
The Tag’s radio frequency is called the CPRF (Cartrack Proprietary Radio Frequency) Network. This network acts like a beacon of sorts, sending out consistent pings. The Tag then uses a method that we call ‘crowd searching’.
If someone takes your generator and puts it in a moving vehicle, any other vehicle equipped with a hardwired tracking device that it passes will report your stolen car. This data allows our control room to accurately locate the Tag, and ultimately your generator!
If you want to look at this from a different angle, think of this process as a relay race. The Tag is essentially ‘passing the baton’ to every car fitted with a hardwired device on the road; each of the devices is a teammate.
The teammates send locational data back to the control room. Thanks to hardwired devices being heavily present in so many vehicles across the country, our coverage is extensive and powerful.
How’s this type of monitoring best for my generator?
The Tag pings every 40 seconds, sending a notification of the generator’s location to our control room. It’s important to note that you won’t see the location of your Tagged generator; only our control room team will. Customer visibility is restricted to elevate the level of security and stop potential thieves from seeing where your generators are.
But don’t fret; we see this as discreet protection and one of our biggest strengths. Criminals are typically looking for the most obvious systems, and yet our Tag works silently in the background, away from malicious eyes.
Final takeaway: Safeguard your energy source
Your generator keeps your business alive during blackouts and outages, which makes protecting it an absolute priority. By blending physical barriers with clever, discreet tracking technology and advanced measures, your investment will remain right where it “generates” the most value.
With Cartrack you can secure your equipment, protect your revenue, and keep the power going.
Keep the power on and the thieves off. Call Cartrack to get your safety and tracking solution for your generator today!
