Has Anyone Worked Overnight Security?

[Jim1348]

From another forum I am on:



"Has anyone worked overnight security?

What can an employer do to make the job better and less boring for security staff?"

[copelandamuffy]

Overnight, Graveyard, 3rd shift. Yes. Done did, and doing it tonight
Tuesday-Saturday 0100-0900
45 years of Security, I'd wager a 1/3 of my life on

Graveyard, 3rd shift

Oh yes it does have its advantages
When traffic is dragging on the Interstate 95 into Boston, I am on the opposite side flying down
the road at 70 Mph

You don't need time off for dentists, doctors, or to be at home when a carpenter fixes a hole on your roof

But God the side affect? I am off cometh Saturday evening, but my a** is dragging, and off to bed by 2100 hours
Thank God I have a wife who understands my delimia

How can a employer make the job less interesting?
Depends on where you work
I work in trucking/ distubiton warehous. Helter Skelter all night long
Helps th workres stop by at the Guard desk to chat with me, and yes bring me coffee

[Soper]

Spinney chair races.

[Condo Guard]

"Chair races" - awesome. On the employer end, checklist of things that need inspection regularly - pumps, generators, the door that doesn't lock like it should, etc. Night shift can inspect stuff like fire extinguishers, exit sign lights, etc. better than other shifts because you're not getting in anyone's way. Our night shift guys check the elevator emergency phones, wheel stops in the garages, exterior lights, etc.

On the guard side, get to know the site - day shift and the suits tend to miss a lot of vulnerabilities that are glaringly obvious at night - greenery that everyone appreciates during the day can provide hiding places for intruders at night. If you are on a stationary post, you can read security related materials - I had no idea what CPTED was until I sat down one night and read a long article on it one of the other guards had left.

Move around as much as you can. I literally guarded a hole in the ground one time (gas explosion / demolished building), but I got out of my car and walked around regularly - and found more than one hole in the fence and ran off a few people who had no business being there. The last site I work had metal thieves and was too big for one guard - no boredom, just going from one end of the site to the other all night long telling crooks to go away.

[Soper]

Self initiated activity. There you go. You have it. Most don’t, then complain about boredom...

[Consolewatcher]

I always found night shifts went by faster than day shifts. At night, they'd usually expect you to sit at a desk, do patrols, watch cameras, etc, but didn't really care if you brought in a laptop or something to pass the time. During day shift, a lot of posts were basically "Stand by this turnstile/elevator/store entrance and be a deterrence" for eight hours in a row.

[psycosteve]

The secret to working overnight shifts is to reset your interal clock to adjust to the schedule. I told my bosses I would need about 3 days off to reset my clock if they wanted me to work overnights. I would stay up late the first night and sleep in. About the end of the 2nd day I would be getting up around 1500 and by the 3rd day I would be adjusted enough to work an overnight shift. Having a good sleep schedule and keeping active is the key to working this shift. When I would get home I would excersize for about and hour eat then have an adult beverage before going to bed.

[Cobbdiesel]

I'm afraid my only 3rd shift experience was working in a Maximum Security Prison and the employer didn't have to do anything to make it less boring, the convicts took care of that! lol