Owners of mobile plant equipment are plagued by theft, so must invest heavily to try and minimise this happening. However, the need for convenient access means that a single key code is often used for a number of vehicles – making a thief’s job easier. Around only 5% of stolen plant equipment is ever recovered so owners are keen to increase protection but without sacrificing flexibility. Engineered access solutions specialist Southco has an answer: it is working with equipment manufacturers to develop keyless entry systems – similar to the wireless keyfob used to open your car – that trigger an electro-mechanical latch. Each vehicle can then have a unique entry code, yet still be easily accessible to authorised people. As an added benefit, the locking mechanism can be incorporated within the vehicle, so there is no visible lock for a thief to target. Such systems could be designed directly into the machinery, rather than being added as a retrofit device.