When contractors arrive outside normal business hours, the security brief needs to be clear before the first person reaches the door. The person providing cover should be able to check an arrival against the agreed instructions, contact an authorised manager when something does not match and keep a useful record of what happened.
This guide is for businesses arranging temporary security cover around maintenance, repairs or other contractor visits. It deals with the access brief, not the management of the contractor’s specialist work.
Start with the work, the area and the times
Give the security worker a short description of the planned job. Include the contractor company, the work area, expected arrival time and expected finish time. Name the site manager responsible for the visit and the contractor’s own supervisor where one has been appointed.
The Health and Safety Executive’s guide for businesses using contractors covers identifying the job, assessing risks, providing information and managing the work. Those responsibilities should stay with the people who commissioned and control the work. Security cover can support the site’s access process, but it does not replace contractor selection, risk assessment or supervision.
Keep the responsibilities separate
The business should approve the contractor and decide what work may take place. The security worker should follow the agreed access instructions and report exceptions. Do not leave them to judge a contractor’s trade competence or authorise a change to the job.
Separate access checks from approval of the contractor
An access list should tell the security worker who or what can be checked. Depending on the site’s process, this may be a named person, a contractor company, a work order reference or another approved identifier. State which check is required and what to do if it cannot be completed.
A name on a list should not become open permission to work anywhere on the premises. Record the approved area, the permitted hours and the site contact. If the visit is cancelled or moved, update the controlled brief rather than relying on an informal message.
Unexpected arrivals need a decision route. Give one primary contact and a fallback contact who have authority to admit, refuse or delay entry. If neither can be reached, the brief should state the default position. That decision belongs to the business and should not be improvised at the access point.
Define who can change the instructions
Late finishes and changes of worker are common reasons for confusion. The brief should name the role that may extend the visit, add another contractor or approve access to a different area. It should also state how the security worker can confirm that the instruction is genuine through the site’s normal process.
Keep a record of the change, including the time and the authorising person or role. A temporary change should not quietly become the rule for later visits.
Plan the arrival and departure record
Use the site’s approved sign-in system and collect only the information needed for the stated purpose. A practical record might include the contractor’s name or approved identifier, company, arrival and departure times, host, work area and the return of any temporary pass or controlled item.
The Information Commissioner’s Office explains that personal data should be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary. It should also be accurate, kept only as long as needed and protected against unauthorised access or loss. The business responsible for the record should set the retention period and decide who may see it.
Avoid collecting spare information just in case. Do not copy identity documents or place personal details in an informal chat unless the business has assessed the need and approved that process. If the site already has a visitor system, brief the security worker on how to use it and where to report a problem.
Check that the security duties match the role
SIA licensing depends on the activity being carried out and the circumstances, not simply the job title. Before booking cover, compare the planned duties with the current SIA guidance. Guarding premises against unauthorised access, key holding, door supervision and public space surveillance using CCTV are treated as distinct activities in the guidance.
Do not add extra duties at the last minute without checking them. For example, access control at a work entrance does not automatically include monitoring CCTV, taking responsibility for keys or supervising specialist work. The NJProtection guide to checking SIA licences explains how to check the planned activity and use the official register.
Include site safety and welfare information
The brief should explain the site’s emergency arrangements, how to raise an alarm and who manages an evacuation outside normal hours. It should also identify any work area that is closed to the security worker and explain how contractor activity that affects normal access routes will be communicated.
Provide the practical information needed for the shift, including welfare facilities and the agreed contact process. More general site information can be covered through a site induction for temporary security cover. Keep access codes, key details and other restricted information inside the site’s controlled handover process.
Use a pre-arrival checklist
- Confirm the contractor company, approved job and work area.
- Record the expected arrival and finish times.
- Name the manager responsible for the visit.
- State the required identity or work order check.
- List the people or roles allowed to change the instructions.
- Set the action for an unexpected person, vehicle or delivery.
- Explain the sign-in, pass and controlled item process.
- Provide emergency, welfare and escalation information.
- Check that the planned security duties match the required SIA licence activity.
Close the visit properly
At the end of the work, confirm that contractors have signed out and follow the approved process for temporary passes, keys or other controlled items. Record anything that remains unresolved and tell the authorised site contact. The security record should not try to certify that specialist work was completed safely or to the required standard.
If a second visit is planned, issue a fresh or clearly updated brief. Do not assume that the people, work area and authority will be the same next time.
Sources and further reading
- NJProtection & Security Services: current services and West Yorkshire coverage
- Health and Safety Executive: Using contractors, a brief guide
- Information Commissioner’s Office: a guide to the data protection principles
- Security Industry Authority: find out if you need an SIA licence
- NJProtection: how to plan secure area manning for defined hours
Discuss security cover for an out-of-hours contractor visit
NJProtection & Security Services considers temporary shift cover and secure area manning enquiries across West Yorkshire. Include the site, hours, access duties and contractor arrangements so the requested role can be considered.