Work environment safety and ergonomics in the security trade

The security trade may appear calm from the outside, but it makes special demands on both body and mind. Here we delve into the occupational health conditions you need to know — and the good habits that allow you to stay in the trade for many years without injury.

§Irregular work hours and night work

Security works when others are free: in the evening, at night, on weekends and public holidays. Night work is a known strain on the body because it disrupts your circadian rhythm and sleep. You cannot remove night work from the trade, but you can learn to manage it: fixed sleep routines, darkening, meals in line with the shift and awareness of when you are most tired and therefore most vulnerable.

§Solitary work

Many guard duties are performed alone — on rounds at stationary posts or in alarm patrols. Solo work means there is no colleague right at hand if something goes wrong. Therefore fixed procedures for communication control calls and alerting are absolutely central. You must always know how to summon help and when to do it.

§Conflicts and mental working environment

Part of the job is meeting people who are angry, intoxicated or insecure. The risk of conflicts — and in the worst case threats or violence — is a real part of the psychological work environment. This is why conflict management takes up a lot in the apprenticeship: reading situations, slowing the pace, talking people down and withdrawing before things escalate. Being able to end a shift without using force is a professional objective in itself.

• 01PLACEHOLDER_42
• 02Use calm voice and open body language — it often defuses conflicts in itself.
• 03Talk with colleagues and managers about incidents afterwards; unprocessed experiences wear on the mind.
• 04Know the company's procedures for calling police and colleagues.

§Ergonomics and the body.

Security work often means many hours on foot, long rounds and periods of stationary surveillance. Both can stress the body: standing and walking work wears on legs, feet and back, while prolonged stationary surveillance can cause tension in neck and shoulders. Good footwear, variation between standing, walking and sitting and small movement breaks make a big difference over a whole career.

§Protective equipment and equipment

Depending on the task, guards use different equipment: reflective and visible clothing, communication equipment, lights and in some cases protective equipment. Always use the equipment the task requires — it's there for your safety, not as a nuisance.

“The best work environment is created beforehand: good routines clear procedures and a culture where you talk about difficult incidents. Then both body and mind hold up.”