Security for museums, exhibitions and archaeological sites

Law 2518/1997 lists among the services of security companies the protection of shows, exhibitions, conferences, competitions and sports events (art. 1 §1δ), and the preparation of studies and planning of measures for them (§1η). These activities do not affect the competences of the state authorities (§4).

• Company guards: a personal work licence, category A or B (art. 3 §1).
• The museum’s own guards: the law applies its rules on the work licence (art. 3), staff obligations (art. 4 §2) and the ID card and badge (art. 6) to the staff of any private business guarding its own premises too (art. 1 §3).
• Moving works in an armoured vehicle: a separate service under the law — safe transport in specially adapted armoured vehicles of money, valuables, antiquities, works of art and precious objects (art. 1 §1γ). It is not the same thing as guarding the gallery.

A state museum or archaeological site follows its own rules and staff. Everything below concerns private museums, galleries, foundation collections and temporary exhibitions.

• One direction: the route does not double back on itself, so flows do not meet in front of showcases.
• Per-room limit: set by the museum or the curator; the guard counts and holds people at the door when the room is full.
• The star piece: the work everyone wants to see draws a crowd; it needs distance, a rope or floor marking, and a guard who watches the public.
• Groups and schools: book a slot in advance; their leader knows the rules before they go in.
• Cloakroom: large bags, umbrellas and backpacks are left there, if the conditions of entry say so.

Queues and capacity for large events such as an opening night are covered in event security. Partners, suppliers and invited guests who are not the public follow the logic of visitor access control.

Rules can change from room to room: a loaned work may carry a no-flash or no-photography condition that does not apply to the permanent collection. That is why they are written into the post orders room by room and announced at the entrance and on signs.

1. Inform: “No flash photography in this room, please.”
2. Explain why: light damages the work, or it is the lender’s condition.
3. Escalate: if the visitor insists, call the museum’s duty manager, who decides under the conditions of entry.
4. Record: what happened, where, and when.

The guard does not take anyone’s phone and does not ask for photos to be deleted. A bag check at the door is also a condition of entry that the visitor accepts or refuses — see what is allowed in bag checks.

• Position in the room: the guard stands where they see both the public and the works, never with their back to the public.
• Checkpoint patrols: rooms without a fixed guard are covered by a patrol logged point by point — see checkpoint patrols.
• Condition check: at opening and closing, each room’s exhibits are counted and showcase locks and seals checked, with whoever the museum designates.
• Showcase alarm: go, look, inform, record — and confirm on camera where there is one.
• Cameras: video analytics alerts need a person to verify them; see what video analytics can detect.

If the guard sees someone stealing or damaging a work at that moment, the rule for every citizen applies: for a crime caught in the act, any citizen has the right to arrest the offender (art. 275 §1, Code of Criminal Procedure), and the person arrested is taken without delay to the prosecutor (art. 279 §1). In practice: the guard calls the police at once and hands the person over; never holds them, never questions them. In a real incident, the police decide.

• Closing sweep: every room, toilet, store and stairwell is checked empty, in an order written in the post orders.
• Alarms: armed zone by zone, with who and when logged.
• Keys and cards: a key register; no store key leaves without a name and a time.
• Out-of-hours entry: only from the museum’s named list — conservators, technicians, curators — with entry and exit logged.
• A guard alone at night: needs regular welfare checks; see lone guard safety.

• Crew list: only people on the museum’s list come in, with a pass and a time.
• Work zone: the room being installed is closed to the public and to anyone not working there.
• Crates: logged when they arrive, where they stand, when they are opened and by whom.
• Loans and couriers: when a lender sends a courier with the work, the guard knows in advance who they are and what they may do; the lender’s conditions go into the post orders.
• Handover: every work is handed over and received with a time, names and signatures.

OVIT records patrols, incidents and reports on the Guardly platform, in one live picture the museum sees too. Ask for a proposal for your collection or exhibition.