Maintaining your CCTV system is essential to avoid premature breakdown, which could ultimately leave your construction site vulnerable, and leave you with substantial replacement bills.
Closed-circuit television or CCTV maintenance is a preventive measure to ensure that surveillance equipment is operational. It is performed by security and facility teams to pre-identify defects and damages to avoid substandard performance and expensive damage costs.
Lens
The main thing to check for and avoid with the camera lens is causes and potential causes of obstruction, which will limit the view of the camera.
Check that nothing is obscuring the field of view of the lens and adjust if necessary
Keep the camera lens clean to prevent any build-up of dust that could prohibit the device performance
Check the camera lens is focused and ensure that the camera’s functions are working (i.e. pan our and zoom)
Clean any marks off the camera lens, as build-up will lead to eventual view obstruction
Ensure that any foliage is trimmed back
Check that the cameras are firmly attached to the post or wall
If your CCTV has motion detection, check that they are working
Wiring
Conduct a visual inspection of all major components on your CCTV, including connections & cabling for signs of deterioration or damage.
Check for any loose wires, exposed or fraying wires and cables, and general wear and tear
Check the image quality and ensure that you are getting a clear transmission of the pictures and not hearing any distortion with the sound
Check that the power supply to the device is working
Control Equipment
Check that all the elements of the CCTV control equipment, such as monitors, switches, VCR, DVR, and Multiplexer, are functioning sufficiently.
Check that the quality of the image on the monitor is clear and the brightness and contrast settings are adjusted correctly
Remove any grime and dust build-up on the monitors and control panels
Check that cables on the control equipment are not damaged, deteriorating or have any weak connection points
Check that the monitor is displaying the correct date and time stamp
CCTV is an important safeguard that cannot be undervalued. If the proper security measures are not implemented, construction sites are more susceptible to the possibility of a break-in and theft. A CCTV surveillance system is only as good as the maintenance and upkeep it is given, so if you take the time to check your CCTV cameras every few months, it could save you a lot of hassle in the future.