Reporting and Documentation
Registers and reports are the guard's written evidence. The exam tests which register does what, how to correct an entry, and how to write an incident report that survives a police enquiry or a court case.
Registers on a post
Duty roster, visitor register, material gate pass register, key register, vehicle log, fire equipment checklist, shift handover register, and the occurrence book (OB) or night report, which records everything unusual in time order.
Rules for entries
- Write in ink; no pencil, no whitener, no overwriting.
- Correct a mistake by a single line through it, then initial and date.
- Record events chronologically with 24-hour time.
- Write facts, not opinions or hearsay.
- Never leave blank pages or sign an incomplete register.
- Sign with name, designation and date.
The incident report - 5W1H
What happened, Who was involved, Where exactly, When (date and time), Why it appears to have happened (only if clear), How it was handled and to whom it was reported.
Evidence discipline
Do not touch or rearrange items, note who else saw what, and preserve CCTV footage before it is overwritten.
Worked example
A bicycle is stolen from the rack. Poor entry: "Ramu was careless again." Correct entry: "At 14:05 on 12 May a black bicycle parked at the north rack was found missing. The rack is visible from Gate Two. No bicycle exit pass was issued. Supervisor informed at 14:10; police complaint lodged by the client at 15:20." Reasoning: the second version is checkable, time-stamped and contains no blame.
Traps that cost marks
- Overwriting or tearing out a page.
- Back-dating an entry.
- Writing what you were told as if you saw it.
- Signing a register with blank rows.