The Patrol That Keeps Missing the Same Door
You are on a night patrol at a distribution centre. The patrol route requires clocking at 14 checkpoints every hour. On your last three rounds you have noticed that the fire exit door on the east side is propped open with a brick, and the padlock on the chemical store is hanging loose (not locked, just hooked on). You reported the fire door twice in the occurrence book but saw no repair. Tonight at 01:15 you again find the fire door propped and the chemical store padlock loose. You are behind on your rounds because a delivery arrived late, and you have 20 minutes to complete the remaining 6 checkpoints.
1. How should you handle the two defects tonight, given the time pressure?
Read the worked answer
The defects outrank the clock-in schedule, because both are security and safety risks: a propped fire exit defeats the perimeter and is a fire-safety breach; a loose chemical-store padlock leaves hazardous material accessible.
Reasoning:
- Secure what you can immediately. Remove the brick and close the fire door; re-secure the chemical store as far as you are able (lock the padlock properly if the hasp allows) and note if it cannot be secured.
- Report in real time, not only in the book. A repeat defect that has gone unrepaired after two written reports is an escalation matter - contact the supervisor/control room now, by radio or phone, and record the time.
- Accept the schedule consequence and explain it. Complete the remaining checkpoints as soon as possible, but a late clock-in is a lesser problem than an open fire exit. Record why the round was delayed.
A model answer does not choose between 'do the patrol' and 'fix the door' as if they were equal - it secures the risk, escalates, and documents the schedule impact.
2. Why does repeating the same written report without escalation fail as a procedure?
Read the worked answer
A report only works if it reaches someone with authority to act and creates a traceable obligation. Logging the same defect a third time in the same book, with no escalation, produces a record that shows the officer noticed but did nothing further - which can be used against the officer if an incident follows.
A sound answer explains:
- The book is a record, not a work order. It documents; it does not by itself trigger repair.
- Repeat defects require escalation beyond the routine log: supervisor, control room, and where appropriate a written handover to the incoming shift so the defect is not lost.
- The officer's duty is to keep the risk visible until it is closed, not merely to note it once.
This tests whether the candidate understands the difference between recording and escalating, and the officer's accountability for a known, unresolved risk.
3. At 01:40 you find the chemical store door now standing open and a person inside. What is your immediate approach?
Read the worked answer
Safety and personal preservation first; confrontation last.
- Do not enter alone into an enclosed space with an unknown person and hazardous chemicals. Observe from a safe position and note description, clothing, what they are doing, and whether they are carrying anything.
- Raise the alarm quietly - radio/phone the control room or supervisor, giving location and description, without alerting the intruder if possible.
- Withdraw to a safe point where you can keep the door under observation and prevent escape if it is safe to do so, but do not physically restrain or pursue into a hazardous area.
- Preserve the scene once help arrives - do not touch items unnecessarily.
- Record everything seen and the times.
The governing principle: an unarmed officer does not confront an unknown intruder in a hazardous enclosed space. Observe, report, contain if safe, and hand over to those authorised and equipped to intervene.