It is one of the first questions we get from warehouse managers. The honest answer is that there is no fixed number set by law. There is, however, a clear method for arriving at it.
What the law says
Romanian Law no. 333/2003 on the guarding of premises, goods and valuables and the protection of persons provides that guarding is organised and carried out according to a guarding plan, based on the physical security risk assessment. Among other things, the plan sets out the characteristics of the site, the number of posts and where they are located, the staff required and the technical means used.
Emergency Ordinance no. 37/2026 added a dedicated chapter on physical security risk assessment to the law. The assessment may only be carried out by an assessor listed in the National Register of Physical Security Risk Assessors (RNERSF), and it must be revised whenever the site changes significantly. For organisations that have no minimum security requirements set by the implementing rules, the measures are set out in a security sheet.
The factors that matter
- Area and perimeter. The length of the fence, how many sides are visible from outside, and the areas that are hard to watch.
- Number of gates and traffic. How many trucks come in and out each day, at what times, and whether work runs in shifts.
- Value and type of goods. Electronics, medicines or low-value items that are easy to resell attract a different kind of risk from building materials.
- Technical systems. CCTV, alarms, access control and perimeter lighting can reduce the number of manned posts, but they cannot respond on the ground.
- Incident history. Previous thefts, attempted break-ins and the situation in the area.
A permanent post means more people
This is where most of the confusion lies. A guard post staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, means 168 hours a week. With a standard 40-hour working week, as provided by the Romanian Labour Code, more than four full-time positions are needed just to cover the hours, before adding holidays and cover for absences. In practice, a single permanent post is covered by about five officers.
“The right question is not how many officers you need, but how many posts and for which hours. The number of people follows from that.”
Set-ups we see often
The vehicle gate
Checking trucks in and out, verifying transport documents and keeping a log of vehicle access. The implementing rules of the law allow this log to be kept through the CCTV system as well, provided the footage is stored for the required period.
Perimeter and loading-bay patrols
Especially at night and at weekends, when activity drops and the loading bays become the most exposed point.
Monitoring and response
A control room that monitors alarms and CCTV, backed by a mobile response team, can replace a fixed post in lower-risk areas.
How we get to the right number
- a site visit, by day and by night;
- a discussion with the logistics manager about flows, shifts and incidents;
- the risk assessment carried out by an assessor listed in the RNERSF;
- the guarding plan, with the number of posts, their location and the post orders for each;
- a review whenever the operation or the building changes, or after an incident.