The Tradespeople Against Tool Theft white paper from On The Tools and Simply Business has found that 68% of tradespeople worry about tool theft daily, leaving a severe impact on their mental health.
One in five (17%) tradespeople lose over £5,000 worth of tools to theft, meaning collectively, the estimated cost of tool theft totals £2.8 billion, mostly affecting the self-employed.
The report released today on World Mental Health Day, found that having tools stolen was described by many as having a more damaging effect than other types of theft, most notably because of the ensuing financial strain put on their business. Many respondents stated that it prevented them from being able to work whilst they looked to replace the stolen equipment.
The destructive nature of this crime had a clear effect on mental health amongst tradespeople, with more than one in six (15%) experiencing increased anxiety and as many as one in five feeling less safe to trust others and wider society, some even citing physical symptoms such as headaches or lack of sleep. The research also revealed the level of distress can cause people to blame themselves for not ‘triple checking’ that tools were properly secured.
The stolen tools market
On Tuesday 27th April 2021, a motion for leave to bring in a Bill was presented in the House of Commons. The Bill proposed a requirement for persons selling second-hand tools online to show the serial numbers of those tools in searchable advertisement text, and for connected purposes. This Bill, as it stands, has not become legislation, leaving the tradespeople of the UK unsupported against the crime of tool theft.
Consumer awareness around the crime is high, with 71% of consumers believing that the average tradesperson has had their tools stolen once or more during the past year. Yet, according to the study, over a fifth (23%) of consumers purchased second-hand and/or refurbished tools. Out of which 19% consumers purchased without making any checks.
Alan Thomas, UK CEO at Simply Business, commented: “We’ve seen the profound impact of tool theft first-hand, costing tradespeople £4,470 on average. Those on the receiving end are often forced to take time off work, and the financial hit – and longer-term repercussions on future business – can inevitably affect mental wellbeing.
“Tradespeople, like so many other business owners across the country, continue to battle rising costs, surging energy prices, and material shortages, all while continuing their recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
“At the very least, in the midst of a cost of living crisis, there needs to be wider recognition of the fact that tool theft poses countless problems – impacting both finances and wellbeing.”
Lee Wilcox, CEO of On The Tools, added: “Tool theft is crippling our industry. It’s an issue that impacts an immense proportion of UK tradespeople and can no longer be ignored.
“The Tradespeople Against Tool Theft white paper was created to reveal the widespread consequences of this crime, from the financial impacts to the emotional consequences and more.
“I am hopeful that by distributing this white paper to all corners of the construction industry and beyond, we can encourage the issue to be taken as seriously as it should be, improving the situation for UK tradespeople once and for all. I would also like to thank the industry sponsors and supporters of this research for your invaluable contributions.”
>>Read more about tackling tool theft here.
