RAMS for Mobile Patrol Security
Generate compliant risk assessments for mobile patrol operations in under 2 minutes. Lone working, driving at work, and alarm response controls documented automatically.
Built with UK health & safety regulations in mind
Mobile patrol security involves lone operatives driving between sites at night, conducting physical inspections of properties, responding to alarms, and dealing with potential intruders or security breaches in isolated environments. It is one of the higher-risk roles in the security industry: operatives work alone, often in the early hours of the morning, with limited immediate backup and significant driving exposure.
The risk profile of mobile patrol is materially different to static guarding. The combination of lone working, night driving on unfamiliar routes, isolated site entries, and potential confrontation with intruders creates a duty of care that most security companies do not document adequately. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for these activities. A generic template that says "drive carefully" does not meet that standard.
swiftRMS generates a mobile patrol RAMS in under 2 minutes. Specify the patrol area, vehicle type, operating hours, and the specific risk factors of the sites being patrolled. Get a compliant PDF that covers driving risk, lone working, alarm response, and site entry procedures.
What Mobile Patrol RAMS Must Include
Compliant risk assessments for mobile patrol work must cover these specific areas
Lone working risk assessment and check-in procedures
Mobile patrol operatives work alone by definition. RAMS must document the check-in frequency (every 30 minutes is industry standard), the contact method, and the procedure when an operative fails to check in. This is a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Driving at work risk assessment
Mobile patrol operatives are professional drivers. Under INDG382 (Driving at Work: Managing Work-Related Road Safety), employers must assess driving risks. RAMS must cover: driver licence checks, vehicle roadworthiness checks, speed and fatigue management, night driving, and adverse weather protocols.
Alarm response and site entry procedures
Responding to an activated intruder alarm is a high-risk task. The operative has no prior knowledge of what has triggered the alarm. RAMS must document the procedure: calling out before entry, not entering alone if indicators of presence are found, and communication with control room throughout.
Physical vulnerability and confrontation risk
The possibility of confrontation with an intruder must be assessed. RAMS must document the policy on physical intervention (most professional mobile patrol operations have a non-confrontational policy), the controls in place (communication, withdrawal, police call), and the de-escalation approach.
Fatigue management
Night shift workers are at higher risk from fatigue. RAMS must address working time compliance under the Working Time Regulations 1998, maximum consecutive night shifts, and mandatory rest requirements.
Vehicle safety and equipment
The patrol vehicle is the operative's workspace. RAMS must cover vehicle inspection requirements, required equipment (first aid kit, PPE, torches, radio), and breakdown procedures for isolated sites.
Common Mobile Patrol Tasks That Require RAMS
Generate RAMS for any of these tasks in minutes, not hours
Multi-site commercial patrol
Patrolling a portfolio of commercial properties: factories, offices, warehouses. Different site access procedures and risk profiles for each site type.
Industrial estate patrol
Large areas with multiple units, potentially including high-value goods, hazardous materials storage, and extensive perimeters. Night operations with limited lighting.
Residential development patrol
New-build developments where plant and materials are theft targets. Site access control, compound security, and welfare facility protection.
Alarm response
Responding to activated intruder alarms. Highest-risk mobile patrol task. RAMS must be specific to the alarm response procedure, not just the general patrol operation.
Key holding and lock/unlock service
Opening and closing commercial premises for clients. RAMS covers key security, access procedure documentation, and the risk of being inside a property alone during lock or unlock.
Rural site patrol
Agricultural buildings, remote industrial sites, and utilities installations. Poor communications, significant driving distances, and no immediate backup.
Construction site security patrol
Out-of-hours patrol of active construction sites. Plant, materials, and welfare facilities all targeted. RAMS must cover uneven terrain, site hazards, and working in CDM environments outside working hours.
UK Legislation for Mobile Patrol Risk Assessments
Every RAMS automatically cites the relevant UK legislation and industry standards
Private Security Industry Act 2001 and SIA Licensing
Mobile patrol operatives must hold a valid SIA licence.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Requires risk assessment for lone working, driving at work, and alarm response activities.
Working Time Regulations 1998
Night shift workers have specific protections. Maximum average working hours, night shift limits, and mandatory health assessments apply.
INDG382 (Driving at Work: Managing Work-Related Road Safety)
HSE guidance that sets out employer obligations for managing road risk. Mobile patrol companies must assess driving as a work activity.
Road Traffic Act 1988
Driver licence validity, vehicle roadworthiness, insurance, and driving standards.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Overarching employer duty of care, which includes mobile patrol operatives working alone at night.
How swiftRMS Generates Mobile Patrol RAMS
swiftRMS generates mobile patrol RAMS by focusing on the specific hazards of the role: lone working, night driving, alarm response, and site entry. You input the patrol area, vehicle type, operating hours, types of sites covered, and specific risk factors.
The output covers lone working procedures with check-in intervals, driving at work risk controls referencing INDG382, alarm response procedure, physical confrontation policy, and fatigue management under Working Time Regulations 1998.
The PDF is formatted for professional use and can be provided to clients as evidence of your health and safety management. Generate a RAMS for each patrol contract: sites vary significantly in risk profile, and a single generic RAMS will not reflect the specific risks of a rural industrial estate versus a central London commercial portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Industry standard is a minimum of every 30 minutes during active patrol. RAMS should specify the check-in frequency and the escalation procedure: what happens if an operative misses one check-in, two check-ins, and how long before emergency services are called.
Yes. Under INDG382 (Driving at Work), employers must assess their employees' fitness to drive as part of work, including licence validity, vehicle familiarity, and specific risks of the role (night driving, adverse weather, long distances). This does not have to be a formal driving test but must be documented.
Most professional mobile patrol operations have a non-confrontational policy: observe and report, do not engage unless the operative's own safety requires it, call police immediately, and withdraw if safe to do so. This policy must be documented in the RAMS and communicated to all operatives before deployment.
The mobile patrol RAMS covers the operational activity as a whole. Where specific sites have unique risk factors (confined spaces, hazardous materials storage, proximity to a railway), a site-specific addendum or separate RAMS entry should be created for that site.
Generate Your First Mobile Patrol RAMS Free
No credit card required. Generate a compliant, legislation-cited RAMS in under 2 minutes and download the PDF immediately.