Though security guards are mostly tasked with protecting your property, personnel, and customers, they provide your business a lot more than security. A security guard’s duties can range from just being present to reacting to break-ins and assaults and maintaining order. Knowing all the duties of a security guard goes a long way in making sure that your property is secure. In this post, we will share with you all the responsibilities of a private security guard.
Observe and Report
These are the two most crucial duties a security guard has. A security guard needs to patrol areas and conduct security checks, keeping their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.
Should a crime or emergency happen, having a clear recollection of preceding events will allow the responders to address the situation better.
“Observe and report” is the bread and butter of the security officer job. They need to have exceptional situational awareness and the experience and training to identify suspicious behavior, knowing when to escalate a situation and when to intervene themselves.
Be Visible
Having well-trained security guards is a useful deterrent for criminals. Security guards need to make themselves known to anyone visiting the property they are guarding to prevent any possible criminal activity.
Crime prevention is a core part of any security guard’s role. Offering a physical presence, patrolling, and observing the everyday goings-on will help to deter criminal behavior and provide important insight into any anti-social activity.
Maintain Order
Security guards are required to maintain order within the property. Maintaining order can involve:
- Enforcing company policies, rules, and laws
- Managing access to the building
- Monitoring surveillance systems and alarms
Should emergencies occur, the guard should handle the situation, maintaining order as best as they can. They should also have good communication and decisive leadership skills while waiting for responders to arrive on the scene.
Assist Visitors
A security guard could be stationed at the entry of a building. In such a situation, one of the guard’s duties will be to help visitors. This duty will include providing them with different information and directing visitors to where they need to be.
This is usually common in:
- Offices/Corporate security
- Residential security
- Hotel security
This duty is often a balancing act– while the guard is helping visitors, they must also be mindful of their other duties, such as identifying possible threats and denying access to potentially dangerous individuals.
Providing peace of mind to anybody visiting a store, office, warehouse– or any kind of place where security presence is needed– is extremely important. Security guards play a crucial role in making certain staff, customers and guests feel safe, which will positively contribute to repeat customer and staff wellbeing.
Protect the Property
A security guard must always be aware of their surroundings to secure the property. This duty can involve patting down individuals who are entering the building. The guard needs to remain alert, using their keen sense of sight, hearing, and smell.
These senses will help them detect any potential risks. They might smell a chemical leak, hear something unusual, or see something out of the ordinary. The guard must then determine the seriousness of the emergency and how to address it.
Enforce Safety Precautions
In an emergency, the security guard is responsible for enforcing safety measures in accordance with company policy. These precautions will help protect employees, guests, and the public from harm and will allow the guards to direct them away from harm.
Investing in private security guard services will positively affect your business operation. Partnering with a trusted and dependable private security services company will provide the peace of mind that the safety of your premises is being taken care of by a trusted and responsible security partner, minimizing stress and helping your business continue to run as smoothly as possible.