Security guards have many different kinds of duties. Some of the areas that you may be responsible for as a security guard are outlined below. As a security guard, you will be responsible for a variety of duties. However, your main duties in all situations are to observe, deter and report.

Observing and reporting

Your duties as a security guard will change a lot from site to site and between areas within some sites. Observing is not just seeing, but watching very carefully and noting what you see. It means noticing things that you might not usually notice, paying careful attention.

Observing carefully will be a big help when you make your notes or prepare a report. Reporting involves telling the proper people about what you’ve observed. You may do this by phone, in a conversation or by a written report. You should report anything unusual that happens during your shift, as well as any instances where rules are not being obeyed. It is important that you keep very careful notes and reports as they may be used as evidence in court.

Deterring and detecting crime

Your very presence will deter most criminals from doing something illegal on your site. However, if someone does try to commit a crime, you should call the police and give them valuable information. This may help them catch the criminals or stop the crime while it is still happening. You should carefully make notes so that you remember as many details of the crime as possible.

It is important at all times to work to build good relations with the police. Together, with your local police force, you form a security team. It is also important that you know exactly what you are allowed to do and what you are not allowed to do under the law.

Keeping good public relations

On some sites, such as a mall, you will be in constant contact with the public. The client may expect you to give help and information. People may also turn to you if they have a problem. It is important that you always act in a professional manner.

Responding to emergencies

If an emergency happens on your site you may be the first person that other people turn to for guidance. You will need to respond in the right way. Every site should have an emergency procedures plan and a fire safety plan that outline what to do if these situations happen.

You may need to evacuate a building as in the case of a fire. If you know what to do and are able to act quickly, others will have more trust in you. You may also be called upon to deal with other emergencies such as a bomb threat. Bomb threats are not very common but if one does happen on your site you will probably be the person who has to take charge. You must know how to respond in these situations.

Controlling access and using alarm systems

Security guards often have to control the movement of people, vehicles and materials coming into their site, within the site and leaving the site. This may require checking people’s ID cards, using an alarm system, and inspecting packages and vehicles. Sometimes clients are concerned that their workers are taking goods or information from the site. In these situations you may be asked to do searches of employees as they are leaving the site.

You will also need to be on the lookout for any intruders that try to enter the site.

Patrolling

When you patrol you can observe a much larger area than if you just stay in one place. This helps you to see what is going on and to find hazards at many parts of your site. It also means that you are seen by more people. Someone who is thinking of doing something illegal may change their mind because you are in the area. In this way you help to deter crime.

Controlling traffic

One of your duties may be to direct traffic within your site. Also, in an emergency, you may be asked to help the police by directing traffic in a public area.

Finding and reporting safety hazards

Your patrols will involve doing safety inspections on your site and reporting any problems right away. A hazard that is detected and fixed quickly cannot cause an accident or injury. You may save lives by spotting fire hazards or dangerous work habits.