From private corporations to public facilities, security guards play a vital role in keeping a location safe. However, do the security guards understand what their duties and responsibilities are?

Depending on the location, the nature of security guard responsibilities and duties can vary, but there are a few aspects that can be found in most work environment. Ensuring that your guards fully understand the essential attributes of their job will make them better at creating a safe environment for everyone in the area.

The following security guard responsibilities and duties are essential at any location:

Visibility

Visibility is not an actual duty but for any security guard, making himself visible is an important part of work. Visible security presence will help establish serenity in your clients. And more importantly, visibility of security guards can deter theft, vandalism, break-in, and many other issues.

Patrolling

Patrolling is one of the most important duties of security guards. It is one of the best ways to detect intruders, and a vast majority of guards conduct patrols to check for anything that might be erroneous. When guards travel along their patrol route, they need to use all their senses and maintain focus as any circumstance can escalate into a serious security problem if not identified and dealt with appropriately.

Reporting

If an incident has taken place, security guard responsibilities aren’t completed until a report has been filed. Even small issues need to be added in the guard’s shift report to help a client understand the issues their company faces. For example, if a security guard discovers that lights are repeatedly left on in unused rooms after hours, this information could be used by the client to remind his employees about conserving electricity. This could help save on utilities.

Quality reporting is also very important for ongoing issues because this will help the client or the supervisor of security guards provide the needed instruction.

Incident Response

The first line of defense against any workplace incidents or human interference is the security guards. It is their responsibility to take quick and appropriate action to deal with any unusual situation. In some cases, this could mean evicting someone from the premises or calling the police or fire department.

However, not all incidents are so intense. Incident response, for many security guards, means something as simple as informing the client about a water leak in the facility or switching off the lights that were accidentally left on. Regardless of the degree of the incident, the ability of a guard to assess the circumstance and take appropriate actions to solve it can change the outcome dramatically.

Following Facility Guidelines

Each client is different, and their security need is also unique. That is why the nature of security guard responsibility and duties may vary. At some locations, guards might be appointed to help maintain order during events or rallies where protesters and other troubles are a concern. At others, security guards may be appointed and positioned at the entrance to check for employee ID badges before letting them enter.

Regardless of the different tasks that security guards need to perform for different clients, it is essential that they perform these duties with the same level of importance.

This checklist hardly covers all of the responsibilities and duties that security guards may need to do. However, these are a few of the key items that can be found in most security guard service jobs. By making these responsibilities and duties their priority, security guards should be able to deliver stellar results to their clients.