Define the assignment and its boundaries
Begin with the property name, version date, approved coverage hours and person responsible for the document. Describe the assigned post and permitted duties in plain language. Identify work outside the assignment so routine requests do not silently expand the contract. For a residential entrance, for example, separate visitor verification from package handling, parking enforcement or maintenance requests. Each additional duty needs an agreed process and an authorized decision-maker.
Write usable access instructions
Explain how authorized visitors, contractors and deliveries are checked. State who can approve exceptions and how that approval is recorded. Describe what to do when a list is missing, a contact is unavailable or an access device fails. Store codes and sensitive access instructions in a restricted system rather than in a public checklist. Review instructions when tenant, vendor or construction arrangements change; an outdated contact list can make otherwise clear orders unusable.
Connect to the property’s emergency plan
Identify the approved emergency contact path and the location of current site procedures. OSHA’s general-industry emergency action plan standard, where applicable, addresses emergency reporting, evacuation and assigned responsibilities. Security post orders should coordinate with the employer’s plan; they do not replace it. Do not assign rescue, medical, fire-response or shutdown work without the appropriate authorization and training. Source: OSHA 1910.38.
Specify the reporting and handover routine
State which routine checks need an activity entry, which issues require immediate contact and who receives the written report. A handover should identify unresolved issues, approved temporary instructions and equipment concerns. Use factual descriptions rather than labels about a person’s character or intentions. If the next shift needs restricted information, pass it through an approved private channel. A general activity report should not become an unrestricted repository of access credentials or personal information.
Test the instructions with ordinary exceptions
Before using the orders, walk through a late delivery, an unavailable client contact and a reported access-device failure. Ask the officer to explain the next action and the person to contact. This is a comprehension check, not evidence of emergency readiness. Resolve ambiguities, record who approved the final version and remove superseded copies from use. Revisit the instructions after a scope change or a real issue that exposed a gap.
Copyable planning checklist
- Document owner, approval and version date
- Assigned post, hours, duties and exclusions
- Access verification and exception authorization
- Approved emergency procedures and escalation contacts
- Report recipients and private information controls
- Handover steps and process for replacing outdated orders
Sources and scope
OSHA: Emergency action plans, 1910.38. Official resources accessed September 29, 2026. Agency links are references, not endorsements of GTS. The checklist is original planning material, not an official form.
This AI-assisted guide provides general planning information. It is not a site assessment, legal determination or evidence of a completed GTS assignment. Site-specific procedures require approval by the responsible organization. Read our editorial policy and corrections process.