Security guard company Q&A
How do I calculate the number of guards needed for a site?
Short answer
- Determine the number of simultaneous posts needed (e.g. 1 at the entrance, 1 at the warehouse).
- Determine the coverage schedule — 24/7, day-only, night-only.
- Calculate total coverage hours per week, per post.
- Divide by the legal working hours per guard, respecting mandatory rest between shifts.
- Add a 15-20% margin of backup guards for leave and absences.
What the law says (brief)
- Labour Code, Art. 112-114 — the standard working time (8 hours/day, 40 hours/week) as the basis for the calculation.
- Labour Code, Art. 135-137 — minimum daily and weekly rest, which limits how many consecutive shifts a guard can cover.
Practical examples
- Example: a 24/7 post means 168 hours of coverage per week. With 12-hour shifts, that's 14 weekly shifts — respecting legal rest, that needs at least 4-5 rotating guards per post, plus 1 backup guard for leave.
Common mistakes
- The calculation has no backup margin, and the first sick leave or absence leaves the post uncovered.
- Legal rest hours aren't accounted for, leading to non-permitted consecutive shifts.
- The estimate is done once, at contract signing, with no recalculation when the schedule changes.
How 4guards helps
- Automatic calculation of required coverage hours per site, based on the defined posts and schedule.
- Automatic rest-hour check on every shift assignment, so scheduling stays legal.
- Visibility into available backup guards, by zone and qualification.