Melbourne is a safe city to live and work in. In fact, it’s even considered the 10th safest city in the world, with only Sydney considered safer in Australia. However, this doesn’t mean you need to let your guard down to protect yourself and your valuables. Even in such a wonderful city as Melbourne, it’s a smart idea to have security guards on-site and involved with your corporate security.

There are reasons why you should have corporate security and best places and practices surrounding this. We’ll walk you through some of the reasons on-site security guards are a good idea, and how you can arrange that for your business.

Why do you need On-Site Security for your Corporate Offices?

There are many good reasons as to why you would need corporate security at your place of work.

Crime Prevention

Purely by being visible, security officers can preemptively prevent theft and vandalism and other disruptive behaviour. Casual criminals or opportunists would think twice when seeing a security guard.

Monitor CCTV

Security stations which are connected to CCTV networks throughout your facility are monitored by security. They can monitor situations and provide tactical communication, and locate offenders and threats and respond quickly.

Risk Mitigation

With their crowd control training, corporate security guards can lower the element of risk when there is aggressive behaviour or intoxicated individuals trying to create mayhem.

Professional Image

Having corporate security, dressed and presented in a corporate manner, can present to the public a professional attitude. This is a high calibre business that cares about its employees and is a secure place to be. They can be crowd control and customer service and they speak with authority.

Asset Protection

The security are protecting all aspects of your business - the people who work there, the data and the business’s assets. They can control entry points and control who enters, and they can help protect, escort and deliver sensitive data and individuals.

Emergency Response

Our security guards are trained for first aid emergencies, fire evacuation and other such crises that may happen on-site. Being security guards, panicking people would tend to follow their orders as they are people of authority.

Peace of Mind

Knowing there is a detachment of trained security personnel can give you a sense of relief and safety when you’re inside your corporate premises.

When are Security Guards Needed in your Corporate Workplace?

There are a few reasons or indicators that signal your business would need security guards on-site.

If your offices are in a high-crime area, not only would your staff feel safer and more assured knowing there is security protecting them while they are at work, the guards can provide an initial deterrent to anyone who was thinking of causing harm or damage.

There may be a series of recent events in your workplace that would require heightened security. This can ensure the safety of staff and services, and put on a good show that management is taking the risks seriously.

Perhaps you need to have strong control of who enters and exits the premises, more than a simple boom gate on the parking garage. Security guards can be more of a deterrent to stop people trying to gain entry to your workplace under false pretences.

Finally, if your place of work is going to host an event with many people, you would require security to check guests lists, keep people safe and conduct crowd control. You’d also want security protecting the assets and data of your place of work. You don’t want guests wandering off and breaking things or using an executive’s office for non-work related activities.

What kind of organisations need on-site security?

You might think there are some obvious choices for businesses to have security guards- art galleries and museums for instance. But there are other organisations and businesses who’d do well to have security guards.

Organisations who have high-risk and highly valuable assets on-site would need security.

• Financial Institutions. Banks and credit unions need security guards to protect cash and sensitive data. They can also protect against robberies.
• Warehouses and Industrial Sites. There could be valuable inventory on-site, expensive equipment or materials which would be ripe for theft and vandalism. Potential corporate espionage, too, could be guarded against.
• Museums and Galleries. Priceless works of art and artifacts need protection from damage, theft and vandalism.

Businesses in high-traffic areas or public facings need a security presence as well.

• Hotels and Hospitality. Security ensures public safety. They can escort inebriated guests out of a licenced venue, help with crowd control and control access - no underage people allowed inside a licenced venue. They can patrol parking lots to help guard against vehicle theft as well.
• Shopping Malls and Retail Spaces. A visible security presence can deter shoplifting and vandalism, help manage unruly customers and project a feeling of safety for other shoppers.
• Concert Halls and Event Venues. Crowd control services, security and bag check operations when people come into a location, managing rowdy crowds and helping with medical emergencies or evacuations if required.

If your business is involved in sensitive operations, or located in a lower socio-economic location, there may be a need for visible, on-site security.

• Corporate Offices and Business Parks. You can have security manning gates, securing entry points to check identification, more than just automated boom gates. They can manage and escort visitors, protect sensitive information and respond to emergencies and administer first aid.
• Healthcare Facilities. Security guards are there to protect staff against unruly patients, provide security of stock and inventory and be some customer service for patient families.
• Educational Institutions. On-campus security to escort students after dark, investigate theft and vandalism, patrol car parks and crowd control during on-campus events.
• Construction Sites. Restrict access after hours to prevent theft of materials and equipment. Control access to the site against unauthorised visitors.
• Transportation Hubs. Places such as airports and train stations benefit from on-site security so passengers can feel safe, to handle unruly patrons and possibly help with security on arriving passenger craft. Security guards also patrol cargo depots and logistic centres, to protect from theft and smuggling and other forms of nefarious activity.

Qualities of a Corporate Security Officer

If you’re looking to become a security guard in a corporate environment, you need some specialist skills, more than a regular patrolling security guard.

• Observational Skills. An ability to spot something that isn’t quite right or doesn’t belong in your environment, such as people or bags that shouldn't be there. An ability to identify threats before they escalate.
• Technologically Proficient. You will be using computer systems and CCTV monitoring stations. On-site access software and alarm systems, Being able to learn these systems quickly and how to troubleshoot if necessary are good skills to have.
• Communication Skills. You may be talking with police or fire fighters, or receptionists and corporate executives on the same day. Being able to clearly communicate information so they can understand is vital. If the situation escalates into an emergency, you need to be able to communicate strongly that you are in charge, and they must follow your directions.
• Teamwork. Many different people work in these sorts of environments, and you will need to be able to work with a variety of people. Cleaners and maintenance people, white collar workers and HR managers.
• Integrity and Professionalism. There is an expected level of professional behaviour you must maintain when working in the corporate space. You would be representing YPG Risk, and you’d be representing your corporate client, so how you behave and present yourself is important.
• Physical Fitness. You may need to be standing for long hours; you may be doing a lot of walking on patrol; you may need to chase and tackle offenders to the ground. Being physically fit and healthy is a big component to being a successful security guard.

How do you get Security for your Melbourne Offices?

If you have read this article and come to the conclusion that yes, you do need security for your office space or business park, what’s your next step?

You can get in touch with us and tell us what you need. We can have a conversation about your security requirements, get to know you and your business and how our qualified and trustworthy staff can keep you safe and sound.