Security Procedures
Security procedures are the written routines that make guarding consistent from shift to shift. The exam tests whether you know the daily drill: taking charge, key control, gate passes, escalation and, above all, a correct handover.
The SOP
Every post has post orders covering what to check, at what time, whom to inform, and which numbers to call. Read them on joining and follow them even when the post is quiet.
Shift routine
- Report at least 15 minutes early, in full uniform, and sign the duty roster.
- Take charge of keys, registers, torch, radio, metal detector and gate passes, checking each against the handover entry.
- Physically check the post before signing: locks, lights, fire extinguishers, seals, boundary.
- Never leave the post until the relief arrives and signs.
Key control
Maintain a key register showing key number, place, person taking it, time out and time in. Keys are never handed to an unauthorised person, never duplicated locally, and a lost key is reported at once so the lock can be changed.
Gate pass discipline
Material moves only against an authorised gate pass, returnable or non-returnable, with quantity matched against the document. Vehicles are checked, including the boot and under-carriage, on entry and exit.
Escalation
Guard → Supervisor → Security Officer → client manager → police or emergency services (100/112, 101 fire, 108 ambulance). Escalate early; do not decide serious matters alone.
Worked example
On night duty a guard finds the store-room padlock broken. He does not enter alone. He informs the supervisor, prevents others from entering, notes the exact time, records the condition in the occurrence book, and later supports the client's police complaint. Reasoning: preserving the scene matters more than being the one who 'investigates'.
Traps that cost marks
- Signing the handover without checking keys and registers.
- Leaving the post for tea or a phone call.
- Accepting a verbal gate pass 'because the manager said so'.
- Laddering keys or hiding them under a desk.