By Fati Niang, Resource Coordinator, Midwest Services USA
WHEN MISSING A SHIFT MEANS MISSING A LIABILITY FLAG
The Quiet Failure
In 2022, a Midwest client failed a compliance audit. Logs were incomplete. Guards were unfamiliar with evacuation routes. Nobody was formally assigned to the overnight wing.
What We Did
- Rolled Out Digital Time-Pings: Guards verified post presence via mobile device.
- Refreshed Protocol Training: De-escalation, reporting, and client-specific SOPs were delivered in three bite-sized modules.
The Result
The next audit passed without issue. Site security risk classification dropped from “moderate” to “low.”
THE NIGHT SHIFT MYTH
The Mistaken Assumption
A quiet lobby doesn’t mean a secure building. Most access violations occurred between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., when no supervisor was watching.
Our Fix
- Increased Randomised Patrols
- Night-Specific Role Expectations
The Result
Incident reports increased short term but that meant issues were being caught.
YOUR 2024 ACTION PLAN
- Don’t Just Staff, Engage: Passive coverage doesn’t deter risk.
- Train Etiquette as Seriously as Emergency Protocols
- Review Logs Weekly, Not Monthly
The Bottom Line
Security isn’t a body at a door. It’s a trained, responsive, accountable professional in the right place at the right time.
Need a tailored 2025 staffing strategy?
Let’s talk.