You’ve probably noticed how much news appears on the subject of injuries to security personnel: from the elementary and understandable “fell and got a broken leg” to the tragic “died under the wheels of a train.” Such publications often involve a heated discussion of the causes of the incident – theories about drunkenness and improper performance of their duties by security guards dominate among sofa experts.

As the director of the security agency, I honestly don’t like to read this. Because I know from personal experience one of the most important reasons for such incidents: the work of security is always involved in risky situations. The guard walks where no one walks and is the first to face an emergency at the facility. And anything can happen there: the pit collapses, the wires fall, the pipes break, the lantern burns down … The guards not only detect all these faults, but also respond to them properly. Rupture of the hot water pipe near the electrical panel – there is no time to delay, the security guard must, following safety measures, cut off the water supply and de-energize the wiring. There was a local fire in the garbage can – it must extinguish the fire with the right fire extinguisher. Often a broken nose, arm, leg or even ribs of a security guard is the result of a fight during the detention of uninvited guests.

In Kamrat, for example, we have a whole set of preventive measures to ensure the safe work of security guards.

First of all, it is always well-established communication in matters of labor protection with specialists responsible for this area at the protected object. Each facility has specific risks, which we take into account, for example, in the same construction of the route of bypassing the territory: at the yeast plant – it is precursors, at the dairy – chlorine, at the landfill – landfill gas, which has the property to deal. Elementary facilities require staff to comply with the rules of labor protection, taking into account its specifics. For example, when guarding public gardens across the road, the guard must follow traffic rules. And considering that our employees work in the territory of not our enterprise, we pay special attention to cooperation with the expert on labor protection of the protected object.

After all, no one will tell better than him about potentially dangerous moments at a particular enterprise. For example, we take under protection a construction site on which repair of a quarry dragline is carried out. And we, together with a labor protection specialist of the company that conducts career development, conduct full-fledged safety training for security. Now, for example, in connection with a pandemic, we regularly communicate with the regular departments of labor protection of protected objects about what measures should be implemented in time to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection: where a security guard only needs to have a fresh mask, and where (if he is in direct contact with people) he must also have gloves and goggles. Occupational safety is an ongoing process tied to specific work units. Any production is similar to a living organism. Therefore, knowledge about its operation and the associated risks to the lives of employees are constantly updated.

That is why we abandoned the practice of moving employees to facilities, which is enshrined in writing in the instructions and in the contract with the client. That is, we cannot put a security guard working at a dairy plant in a quarry, even as a replacement. After all, these two objects have completely different specifics and, accordingly, different threats to the lives of security guards.

The second most important measure to prevent injuries in the workplace of security personnel with all the consequences is health and life insurance. Of course, our agency, as an employer, makes mandatory contributions for each employee to the Social Insurance Fund of Ukraine. It is this fund that pays for sick leaves. But we also insure certain categories of security guards in insurance companies, which, God forbid, will allow them to cover additional costs associated with treatment and rehabilitation in the event of an injury at work.

For example, recently our agency provides the service of electric transport controllers. As a result of 2019, the transport industry is recognized as one of the most traumatic. Official statistics show that last year alone, 297 workers were injured and 75 died. Therefore, this category of security guards also has additional private insurance, which allows the employee in the event of an incident not to worry about the cost of treatment, and the company to avoid additional costs.

AUTHOR: OLEKSIY ABUSOV