3 Essential Safety Tips For Security Guards
Your security guard SIA training will have taught you much of what you need to stay safe as a security guard. However, once you start working it is easy to forget some of the points from your training days.
You may begin to get comfortable in your role. There is very little conflict and your shift all to often finishes without any major event. Good, all security guards would like to keep it that way.
However, when you least expect it, trouble may well occur. You have to be vigilant during the dull periods and ready to react when in layman’s terms, ‘the shit hits the fan’.
At this point you will need to call upon the skills you learned to get your SIA licence in the first place.
These next points will hopefully ring bells. By remembering these you should be able to cope with incidents that may occur.
• Be aware of your surroundings
• Be quick on your feet
• Have a plan
Lets take a look at these in a bit more detail…
Being Aware of Your Surroundings
Not only should you know the area you are patrolling like the back of your hand, you also need to know what is happening around you at any given time.
By being acutely aware of your surroundings, your brain will register signs of suspicious activity.
Part of your job is to closely observe the area that you have been employed to guard. You should be aware of smaller details like the placement of different objects. If something looks out of place, you know it is time to investigate.
Sounds are especially important. Don’t sit at your desk on the night shift with headphones on. Sounds can alert you to trouble and the possible presence of an intruder. Remember your SIA training and the need to be alert at all times.
Quick on Your Feet
As we have already mentioned, you cannot afford to become complacent. If trouble starts you need to be quick on your feet.
This involves looking after your self physically. Having the ability to move fast will help you stay safe.
You should plan take to daily exercise, including aerobic and anaerobic. Whether this is through running outside of work, or going to the gym, it doesn’t matter; just make sure you don’t fall into the unfair movie stereotype of the unfit mall security guard, munching on bad food throughout his shift.
This is your career, and your health is your life. You should be in great shape if you want to be prepared for all incidents.
You should also be fully accustomed with any tools that you have for protection or offensive security guard tactics. Again, having a fresh mind on what you learnt on your SIA training course is highly important.
You cannot afford to waste time trying to figure out your tools while in pursuit of a suspect. You need to practice frequently so that your instincts and reaction time remain as quick as they possibly can be.
Have a Plan
Finally, you should always have a plan. Spend time to imagine situations that might occur where you work. What would you do in these circumstances? This connects with being aware of your surroundings.
Your training should have taught you the need of careful planning. You should be prepared for the best way to protect yourself, others around you and the building and property of your employers.
A plan of action will include, knowing exactly where all exits are in your building, what are the safety protocols?
Do you work with other security guards? What modes of communication do you have, what contingencies do you have if these fail? How do you coordinate yourselves in a team, what roles would each play in any given scenario.
These are areas that need to be discussed. Your supervisor should assist in some of these. Coordinate your efforts by developing a plan together.
These three simple rules will help you perform better as a security guard. They will help keep you safe and will help ensure the safety of those around you.
Do you have any mental safety tips that you use while on the job as a security guard? If you were training a new recruit, what would you say is the most important thing to remember? As always, feel free to comment below.
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