What constitutes safety? A qualitative interview study of what the work of Norwegian security guards really is about

Security guards are part of the infrastructure of interconnected organizations ensuring societal safety, and they work together with citizens, companies, public emergency services, and other actors. Despite the fact that security guards have become a ubiquitous feature of contemporary societies, few scholars have investigated what this omnipresent profession actually does. This study aims to investigate how safety is understood through the procurement actors’ accounts of the nature and role of Norwegian security guards. The empirical data this study is based on is collected from interviews with different actors in the procurement process; security guards, security managers and procurers. The aim is to investigate the described qualities and work practices of security guards to investigate what safety is in a Norwegian context of security services. The results of this study is that the work of the security guards can be categorized into five different categories which all are deemed essential to the informants when they describe the task of the security guards: (1) Vigilance and control, (2) Formal competence, (3) Collaborator, (4) Social worker and (5) Service provider. We conclude that the qualities deemed important to security guards go beyond the traditional understanding of security as guns, guards and gates or avoiding unwanted events. The Norwegian conceptualization of safety seen through the prism of security guards describes safety and security not only as preventing unwanted events from happening. These qualities are related to their intent to play a role in the co-creation of societal safety.