The Bag Hotel / Project Storage
Construction · Oil & Gas · Infrastructure · Mining · Industrial
Large construction sites have welfare frameworks. Personal item security is rarely one of them.
TBH Project Storage is a staffed, insured item storage service for large-scale construction and industrial project sites. Workers check in personal items at the start of each shift and collect by PIN at the end. No infrastructure required from the project operator.
The problem
The welfare gap that persists across every large construction site in the world.
Workers on large construction and industrial sites carry phones, wallets, cash, and personal items through 10 to 12 hour shifts in environments where leaving valuables unattended is a persistent security risk. The gap is documented. It is rarely addressed.
Nigeria — major refinery and petrochemical site, Lagos
At peak construction, one of West Africa's largest refinery sites employed over 40,000 workers — across the project operator, EPCM consultant, and multiple international sub-contractors from India, China, and elsewhere. Workers across every contractor layer had no secure place to leave phones, wallets, and personal items during shifts across seven years of construction. The welfare environment that resulted attracted significant international attention after commissioning. Personal item security was never systematically addressed for the duration of the project.
The structural gap
Large construction sites invest heavily in physical safety — PPE, scaffolding standards, fall prevention, fire safety. Welfare provisions typically cover accommodation, food, and medical care. Personal item security — a phone, a wallet, a week's cash wages — is treated as the worker's individual problem. On a site where thousands of workers from different countries and contractor organisations share facilities, shift patterns, and storage areas, that assumption creates a persistent and unreported source of welfare incidents, grievances, and reputational exposure for the project operator.
The reputational exposure
For project operators on high-profile infrastructure developments — refineries, pipelines, ports, mines — international press coverage, government scrutiny, and ESG reporting create an environment where workforce welfare incidents are not contained at site level. A documented welfare gap that was known and unaddressed becomes a reputational liability for the operator whose name is on the project, not the sub-contractor whose worker was affected. TBH removes that gap before it becomes an incident.
Who TBH serves
Three audiences. One service.
TBH Project Storage serves the full project stakeholder structure — from the individual worker to the EPCM consultant setting site-wide welfare standards.
Construction workers
Every worker on site, regardless of contractor or trade.
Workers check in phones, wallets, and personal items at the start of each shift. Items are sealed, weighed, and photographed at intake. A 6-digit PIN is sent by WhatsApp or SMS. Workers collect by PIN at the end of the shift — barcode scan confirms the correct item, weight is verified against intake, and collection is confirmed by message. No paper tickets. No name lookup. No lost items unaccounted for.
Workers covered by the project operator's welfare arrangement receive discounted access to the TBH Guardian storage network — secure storage in cities worldwide on days off, during travel, and between project rotations.
Project operators
In-house construction arms, owner operators, and project developers.
For project operators, TBH provides a specific, verifiable welfare provision that closes a documented gap in the site welfare framework — one that is increasingly scrutinised by governments, investors, and international press on high-profile infrastructure projects. The commercial model is agreed at partnership level. The service can operate on a worker-funded basis at no cost to the operator, or as a fully subsidised welfare benefit where the operator covers the per-transaction cost for their workforce.
For operators with ESG reporting obligations, TBH Project Storage is documentable as a specific workforce welfare provision with a full transaction and custody record.
EPCM consultants
Engineering, procurement, and construction management consultants.
As the entity setting welfare and safety standards for every contractor on site, the EPCM consultant has both the authority and the responsibility to specify TBH Project Storage as part of the site welfare framework — covering not just the consultant's own team but every sub-contractor operating under their management umbrella. One agreement, one welfare standard, applied consistently across the full workforce from day one of mobilisation.
EPCM consultants specifying TBH across a project site create a single chain of custody record for all personal item storage — auditable, reportable, and consistent across all contractor layers.
How it works
Check-in to collection.
Every item follows the same chain of custody from the moment it is handed over to the moment it is returned.
01
Identity verified at check-in
Worker name, phone number, employee ID, contractor, and trade captured at first visit. ID document type verified. Worker registered on the system — subsequent check-ins use phone number lookup.
02
Item weighed and photographed
Each item placed on scale — weight captured to two decimal places. Photo taken with timestamp before sealing. Weight and photo stored against the record.
03
Tamper-evident seal applied
A tamper-evident seal is applied to the item. Barcode scanned into the system. Backend creates the record — seal number, worker identity, weight, photo, timestamp.
04
PIN sent to worker
A unique 6-digit PIN generated by the backend and sent to the worker by WhatsApp (primary) or SMS (fallback). Worker notes the PIN or keeps the message for collection.
05
Collection verified
Worker presents PIN at end of shift. Staff retrieve item, scan barcode — must match PIN record. Weight verified against intake. Discrepancy triggers investigation before release. Item handed over. Collection confirmation sent by WhatsApp or SMS.
Commitments
Four commitments on every item stored.
Fully insured from check-in to collection.
TBH carries comprehensive bailee's liability insurance covering every item from the moment it is handed over to the moment it is collected. A certificate of insurance is available on request.
Weight verified at both ends.
Every item is weighed at intake and again at collection. Any discrepancy beyond tolerance triggers an immediate investigation before the item is released. Tampering is detected before it leaves the desk.
Full chain of custody record.
Every transaction — check-in, collection, discrepancy, third-party collection — is logged in the backend with timestamp, worker identity, seal number, weight, and photo. Auditable and reportable.
No infrastructure required.
TBH operates on its own system with its own equipment. No connection to the project's systems, networks, or infrastructure. The project provides desk space. TBH provides everything else.
Markets
Active in every market where large construction projects operate.
TBH Project Storage is designed for the international construction environment — multi-national workforces, remote locations, high-profile projects, and complex contractor structures.
East Africa
Kenya — Lamu refinery corridor
A $16–17 billion, 700,000 barrel-per-day greenfield refinery facility — the largest private sector investment in Kenya's history — is mobilising its workforce ahead of full operations. TBH is engaging project stakeholders including the EPCM consultant and construction partners ahead of workforce deployment.
West Africa
Nigeria — Oil and gas infrastructure
The Lagos industrial corridor hosts some of the largest active refinery and petrochemical construction projects in Africa. TBH is building partnerships with EPCM consultants and project operators across the Nigerian energy sector.
United States
Energy, infrastructure, and construction
Major US construction markets — Texas Permian Basin, Gulf Coast refineries, infrastructure projects in Chicago and other TBH launch markets — are priority targets. The Permian Basin International Oil Show (PBIOS) is an active outreach target for project operator partnerships.
Middle East, Asia, Australia
Global project expansion
TBH Project Storage is available for deployment on large-scale construction and industrial projects globally. EPCM consultants and project operators with multi-site programmes can arrange group agreements covering multiple projects under one commercial arrangement.
Beyond the site
Workers covered by the project arrangement get discounted Guardian access too.
Construction and industrial workers rotate between project sites, travel between countries, and spend significant time in cities between deployments. Workers whose project operator covers their TBH Project Storage arrangement as a welfare benefit receive discounted access to the TBH Guardian network — staffed, insured storage at independent businesses in cities worldwide. The benefit follows workers off-site, on rest days, and between project rotations.
Guardian access is provided at a discounted rate agreed at partnership level. No separate registration required — workers access the network using the same identity verified at the project site desk.
Common questions
What project operators and EPCM consultants ask.
How does TBH operate on a construction site without project infrastructure?
TBH brings all equipment to the site — portable desks, scales, tamper-evident sealing materials, and a mobile device running the TBH PWA system connected to the backend via cellular network. No connection to the project's systems, servers, or network infrastructure is required. The project provides desk space and basic power access. TBH handles setup, staffing, and operations independently.
Can TBH cover workers across multiple contractors on the same site?
Yes — and this is the strongest case for EPCM-level specification. When TBH is specified as part of the site welfare framework by the EPCM consultant, the service applies to every worker on site regardless of which contractor they work for. One TBH desk, one commercial agreement, one welfare standard across the full workforce. Workers from different contractors are registered and managed identically.
What happens when a worker cannot collect at the end of their shift?
A pre-authorised colleague can collect on the worker's behalf — specified at check-in or authorised by WhatsApp message from the worker's registered number before collection. For project rotations where a worker leaves site before collecting, TBH holds the item securely and coordinates collection with the project operator. No item is released without PIN verification and identity confirmation.
How does the commercial model work for project operators covering the cost as a welfare benefit?
The commercial model is agreed at partnership level before deployment. Where the project operator covers the cost as a welfare benefit, TBH charges a per-transaction fee settled monthly against an agreed volume. Where the service operates on a worker-funded basis, workers pay a small fee at check-in and the project operator pays nothing. Both models are available — the right structure depends on the project's welfare framework and the operator's preferences.
Can TBH provide ESG-reportable documentation of the welfare provision?
Yes. TBH provides a monthly report covering total transactions, items stored, collection completion rate, any discrepancies and their resolution, and the full chain of custody record for every item. This documentation is suitable for inclusion in ESG reporting, welfare audits, and project compliance records. A certificate of insurance naming the project operator as additionally insured is available on request.
Can TBH operate across multiple sites under one group agreement?
Yes. EPCM consultants and project operators with multi-site programmes can arrange a group agreement covering all active project sites under one commercial arrangement, with consolidated monthly reporting and revenue settlement. Contact us to discuss terms for your programme.
Start a conversation.
We respond within one business day. A phased partnership starting at one project site is the most common starting point.
Get in touchOr email us directly at partners@thebaghotel.com