Though security guards are mainly tasked with protecting your property, staff, and customers, they offer your business a lot more than protection. In this article, we will share with you all the duties of a security guard.
Security Guard Duties
A security guard’s duties can range from simply being present to reacting to robberies and assaults and maintaining law and order. Knowing all the responsibilities of a security guard goes a long way in ensuring that your property is secure.
The following are some of the key security guard duties.
Observe and Report
These are the two most crucial responsibilities a security guard has. A security guard has to patrol areas and perform security checks keeping their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.
Should a crime or emergency occur, having a clear recollection of preceding events will allow the responders to handle the situation better.
Be Visible
The presence of a security guard can prevent someone from attempting something illegal or acting up. That’s why being visible is an essential part of a security guard’s duty.
They must position themselves in public, high-traffic areas to create a feeling of safety.
Maintain Order
Security guards are required to maintain law and order within the property. Maintaining order could involve:
- Enforcing company policies, rules, and laws
- Controlling access to the building
- Monitoring surveillance systems and alarms
Should emergencies occur, the guard should manage the situation, maintaining order as best as they can. They should also have good communication and decisive leadership qualities while awaiting responders to arrive on the scene.
Help Guests
A security guard could be stationed at the entrance of a building. In such a case, one of the guard’s duties will be to assist guests. This responsibility will involve providing them with different information and directing guests 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 guests, they must also be mindful of their other responsibilities, such as detecting potential threats and denying access to potentially dangerous people.
Protect the Property
A security guard must always be mindful of their surroundings to protect the property. This duty could involve patting down people who are entering the building. The guard must stay vigilant, utilizing their keen sense of sight, hearing, and smell.
These senses will help them detect any potential risks. They could smell a chemical leak, hear something strange, or see something out of the ordinary. The guard should then determine the severity of the emergency and how to respond to it.
Enforce Safety Precautions
In an emergency, the security guard is responsible for enforcing safety precautions in line with company policy. These precautions will help protect employees, guests, and the public from danger and will enable the guards to direct them away from harm.
Additional Security Guard Responsibilities
Besides the duties we have mentioned above, there are certain situations that security guards can also lend their expertise and experience.
Administrative Support
Security guards can offer the following to reduce the administrative burden your staff might be under:
- Liaison Services: They can act as the liaison between public safety officials and your management team.
- Telephone Assistance: They can also answer phones, screen and direct calls, and take messages when necessary.