Daily Occurrence Book Record Top 10
Our daily occurrence book record top 10 brings you the most popular entries made in Daily Occurrence Books. Are you making the right entries?
Check out our popular article how to write a daily occurrence book.
Introduction
We’ve searched our vast database of digital daily occurrence books and assembled a list of the 10 most popular DOB entries. There’s at least one entry making our top 5 that will surprise you!
In at number 10, the call no one can resist, the….
Check Call
Check calls confirm a worker’s location and wellbeing. The worker contacts a third party to affirm they are safe and at an agreed location. The employer agrees the timing and frequency of the call in advance, according to a risk assessment. A record of the call schedule is shown in the site assignment instructions. The third party is usually a control room that records the time of the check call. If someone misses a check call or it is made outside the agreed schedule then the control room follows a standard operating response procedure. confirm a worker’s location and wellbeing. The worker contacts a third party to affirm they are safe and at an agreed location.
The timing and frequency of the call is agreed in advance, according to a risk assessment. The call schedule is documented in the site assignment instructions. The third party is usually a control room that records the time of the check call. If a check call is missed or made outside the agreed schedule then the control room follows a standard operating response procedure.
Even though the action is named a ‘check call’ it does not need to involve a telephone call. Increasingly, workers use automated methods, such as text messages or apps to make contact.
Check calls are not the reserve of security. Many lone workers in industries such as domiciliary care make check calls.
Why is a daily occurrence book record necessary?
The daily occurrence book is used by a security guard to evidence when a call was made and by whom.
The one we all fear…. the
Client Instruction
Perhaps the daily occurrence book’s broadest category. A client instruction is a request made by a client to the security team (usually a contract security company). The request can range from looking after a lost child to monitoring the weather.
Before a security guard agrees to a client instruction they must consider whether it agrees with their existing duties and assignment instructions. Breaching these may put them and their employer at risk. For example, a contractor’s insurance policy may not cover a security guard entering a hazardous environment.
Why record a client instruction in the daily occurrence book?
Because it:
- Assigns responsibility for the action.
- Evidences a security guard’s value.
- Allows real-time review by supervising parties (when using a digital daily occurrence book).
Along at no.8, checking up on cameras that check up on us…
CCTV Check
A CCTV check or audit ensures a CCTV system is operating correctly. The check is usually made by a licensed CCTV operator. They may spend time reconciling the operation of the CCTV system against the CCTV plan.
The check includes:
- Camera positioning, feed and clarity
- Requests for information
- Storage
- Back-up
Why a daily occurrence book to record should be made:
CCTV is a highly regulated area and it is good practice to evidence checks. It also helps with keeping track of faults.
The entry no one wants to see against their name….
Health and Safety
A health and safety daily occurrence book entry will include three different types of events:
- Near miss
- Injury
- Undesirable circumstance
It is unlikely the entry in the daily occurrence book will be the only record of the event. Usually, a separate form records more information, such as location, identity, contributing factors etc.
Note: Increasingly external threats, such as protests in London appear in occurrence books.
Why use a daily occurrence book?
Health and safety incidents are a high priority. As a result, it’s important the responsible organisation or person is made aware.
This could go well for you, could go bad…
Management Visit
Management visits may include a boss peering over a screen at you or travelling 600 miles to visit you. Security standards often stipulate how often a manager should visit site. The visit should assess the welfare of a security guard.
The management visit often includes a client meeting and a review of site security.
Why use a daily occurrence book?
One of the biggest complaints clients make is that management do not visit site often enough. Entering the visit in a DOB shows management are not ignoring the contract and security guard.
Now, into our top 5! When things don’t go to plan, who you gonna call?
Emergency Services On Site
The arrival of the emergency services (police, ambulance service or fire brigade) on site could mean there is an emergency. It may also mean they are performing a courtesy visit or check-up.
The police will often visit site to provide reassurance and gather intelligence. Depending on a site’s risk profile the fire brigade may make a scheduled visit to perform inspections and drills. However, an ambulance on site is rarely a good sign.
Why make a daily occurrence book record?
In the event of an incident criminal or civil proceedings may refer to a DOB. Recording the emegency services on site helps establish the facts of a case.
Something we all have a view on… it’s the
Key Issue
Keys for doors, locks, cabinets, are all retained by security. Keeping track of of their whereabouts is important. As a result, a record of their release and return is made in the DOB.
Keys are expensive and if they get into the wrong hands they can compromise site security. Therefore, keeping track of keys is… key. Usually, a record of the person taking the key is made. Along with their contact details and the time for the keys return.
Keys are more often lost, than stolen. One famous sporting stadium lost one set of keys. The keys unlocked over 100 rooms. This meant all the room keys were replaced, at a cost of over £100k.
Why use a daily occurrence book?
Some organisations use key track technology.
Some organisations use a dedicated key tracking technology. In their absence record a key’s release and return in the DOB.
Amazing
Since introducing SIRV to our business in Security, we have improved the efficiency of conducting our operational duties. Paper is a thing of the past and this has made life a lot easier whether we are conducting the task itself or reporting.
Our incident notification system keeps everyone in the loop at all times, and has formed the basis for high quality training exercises and continuous improvement.
Anytime I need assistance the response is always efficient and helpful. I couldn’t imagine work life without SIRV anymore.
Thank you!
Response from SIRV
Thank you Imane! What a lovely review, we’re lucky to have you as a client.
What reference do you give to a flying CCTV camera?
Drone Sighting
A drone is an unmanned aerial aircraft (UAV). It can present a threat to privacy and safety. Also, it may be a form of remote hostile reconnaissance. As a result, a record of any sighting should be recorded in a DOB.
Drones have become popular as their cost has decreased and their capability increased. The Civil Aviation Authority estimate there’s 130k drone users in the UK but less than half of them are registered users.
Drones are not easily identifiable. Often people struggle to recognise a flying object is a drone and if it is, the identity of that drone. Therefore, some organisations have invested in technology to help them to identify and track drone sightings. Expect to see drone sightings more often in the future.
Why record a drone sighting in the daily occurrence book:
Record a drone in the daily occurrence book to help build the case for public and private security measures.
Radio Check
Nearly every organisation with a security guard has a radio. They remain the communication product of choice for the security team. If a radio is not charging or malfunctioning then it will impact the security team’s efficacy. That’s why every day, nearly every security guard around the world makes a radio check. The results invariably end up as an entry in the DOB.
Why record a radio check in the daily occurrence book?
Often a paper DOB has a dedicated area, a check box to prompt the user to mark radio checks. The check will usually take place at the end of each shift. As a result, the next shift knows what what to expect.
Nothing can shift this one from the top spot. It’s never the security guard, it’s always the…
Building Fault
The engineer fixes things, the security guard reports things. That’s why security guards nearly always record building faults and then the facilities team remedy the fault.
The security guard is usually the only person on site 24/7, on security patrol scanning their environment. As a result the DOB’s most frequent entry is what’s wrong with a building. These reports can range from leak to flood, blown lightbulb to blackout.
Reporting a building fault is a real value add to an organisation. Quick reports can significantly reduce the cost of remedial action (a leak is a flood in waiting) and make the building a safer space.
Why make a daily occurrence book record?
Even if a building fault has been reported to the facilities team it’s still necessary to add an entry to the DOB because:
- It shows the value a security guard provides
- Not all facilities teams respond to building faults. Should a query be raised the security guard can refer back to the DOB as an audit trail.
