Short answer: a planned power shutdown needs a security brief that states what will stop working, what remains available on backup power, who controls the electrical work, how access will be managed, what lighting and communications are safe to use, and who can confirm the site is ready to return to normal operation.
Do not assume that a security officer will simply continue the usual duty in a darker building. A shutdown can affect doors, barriers, cameras, alarms, intercoms, lifts, chargers, lighting and reporting systems at the same time. The client or site manager should coordinate the shutdown plan with the electrical contractor, fire-safety arrangements and the security provider before the supply is isolated.
This guide is for commercial and industrial-site planning. It is not an electrical isolation procedure and does not replace the premises risk assessment, emergency plan or instructions from a competent electrical person.
Put the competent shutdown plan first
Security duties must fit the authorised shutdown plan. The brief should name the person responsible for the electrical work, the planned start and finish window, the affected areas and the point at which security arrangements change.
The Health and Safety Executive’s introduction to electrical safety says electrical repairs should be carried out only by a competent person with the necessary skills, knowledge and experience. A guard should not be expected to open switchgear, improvise a supply, reset electrical protection or re-energise equipment unless that task is lawfully assigned to a suitably competent and authorised person.
If the shutdown timing changes, the site contact should issue a clear update. Informal messages such as “the contractor is nearly finished” are not a handback. Record who has authority to start, extend, pause and end the shutdown.
Map each security dependency
List the systems and site features that may behave differently without mains power. For each one, record the expected state, any approved backup, the owner of the system and the action required if it does not operate as planned. The review may include:
- internal, perimeter and emergency lighting;
- electronic locks, turnstiles, gates and vehicle barriers;
- CCTV cameras, recorders, monitors and remote connections;
- intruder alarms, monitoring links and local sounders;
- intercoms, radios, telephones and charging points;
- fire-detection, warning and evacuation arrangements;
- lifts, automatic doors and other routes that may change;
- computers or reporting devices used for access and incident records.
The list is not a reason to publish technical vulnerabilities. Keep detailed system states, fallback arrangements and access information in controlled site documents shared only with people who need them.
Agree the manual access method before isolation
If an access-control reader or powered gate will be unavailable, decide how authorised people will enter and leave. The temporary method should identify who approves access, what evidence is checked, how arrivals and departures are recorded, and who controls any physical key or manual release.
A manual arrangement should not quietly widen access. Contractors attending the shutdown still need a named site contact and a defined work area. Doors should not be wedged open merely because a reader is offline, and an officer should not be asked to disclose a code or release method to an unverified caller.
If the proposed fallback conflicts with a fire exit, accessibility need or safe route, stop and refer it to the responsible site team. Security presence cannot make an unsuitable access arrangement safe by itself.
Check lighting, routes and occupied areas
HSE guidance on workplace transport lighting says roads, yards, pedestrian areas and other places where traffic moves should have suitable and sufficient lighting. The shutdown plan should therefore identify which routes remain usable and which activities must pause.
Confirm the approved temporary or emergency lighting, how it is checked and what happens if it fails. A personal torch may support an agreed task, but it should not be treated as proof that a whole route, stair, loading area or vehicle movement is safe.
Restrict access to areas where visibility, electrical work or changing plant conditions create an unmanaged risk. The officer should have a clear route for reporting the problem and moving to a safe position; protecting property does not require remaining in an unsafe area.
Coordinate emergency and fire arrangements
A planned loss of power should already be reflected in the premises emergency arrangements. HSE’s emergency-procedures guidance stresses clear, recorded responsibilities and planning for night work, weekends and times when premises are closed.
The security brief should state how an alarm will be raised, how people will be accounted for, who contacts the emergency services and which assembly or escape arrangements apply during the shutdown. Where several employers or contractors share the premises, the responsible parties should coordinate their plans rather than leave the guard to reconcile conflicting instructions.
Do not assign the officer technical responsibility for a fire-alarm or life-safety system merely because they are present. The responsible person and competent contractors must define system status, compensating measures and the authority to restore normal operation.
Use primary and fallback communications
Agree a primary communication method and a tested fallback. Include the site lead, electrical contractor, security supervisor and any monitoring contact that genuinely needs to know about the shutdown. Check whether radios, intercoms, routers or mobile devices depend on the isolated supply or local charging points.
The brief should explain what the officer does if communications fail, the shutdown overruns or an unexpected person arrives. Avoid relying on a single personal number or an assumption that somebody will be reachable. A fallback contact is useful only if that person knows their authority and has the information needed to act.
Record events without turning the log into a technical manual
Use an approved paper or offline record if the usual reporting platform will be unavailable. Record factual information such as the authorised start time, instructions received, access decisions, observed system indicators, concerns raised, people notified and the time of any handback.
Do not use the security log to store passwords, alarm codes, lock-release details or a complete description of disabled protection. Sensitive technical records should remain in the appropriate controlled system.
Require a clear handback
Normal security duties should resume only after the named responsible person confirms the handback. The plan should specify who verifies that access control, lighting, alarms, CCTV and communications have returned to their intended state, and how unresolved faults are managed.
A security officer may record visible indicators or complete an authorised operational check, but should not declare an electrical system safe or reset equipment outside their competence and assignment instructions. The recent guide on authorised alarm resets explains why investigation, silencing, resetting and reinstatement need separate authority.
Close the temporary log with the handback time, the person giving the instruction, outstanding restrictions and the next review point. If the shutdown has exposed a weakness in the site brief, update the controlled instructions before the next planned outage.
Questions to settle before the shutdown
- Who controls the electrical work and who can change the shutdown window?
- Which security, access, lighting and communication systems are affected?
- What remains on approved backup power, and who verifies it?
- Which doors, gates, routes and occupied areas remain usable?
- How will authorised access and departures be recorded?
- What are the primary and fallback communication methods?
- What action follows an overrun, failed backup or loss of contact?
- Who confirms handback and verifies each affected security system?
When discussing static guarding for a planned commercial-site shutdown, provide the postcode, proposed hours, expected duties, affected access arrangements and the responsible site contacts. Send an enquiry so the scope and feasibility can be considered for the individual premises. Do not include access codes, system passwords or detailed vulnerabilities in an initial enquiry.
Featured image: an illustrative stock-style image from the existing site media library showing a security officer outside a commercial building at night. It does not depict a K9 Security Services employee, a client site or a power shutdown.