Even office workers get to walk to the water cooler a couple of times per day. They get to stand up and stretch, go to the toilet, and have a lunch break. If an office worker gets caught doing their job they generally don't run the risk of physical violence.

For surveillance operatives the office is your vehicle, and you may find yourself spending a lot of time sitting in your car seat statically for ungodly periods of time. You may find yourself doing a shift than can last more than 12, 16 sometimes 24 hours, going home for a short sleep and going out and doing it again for weeks or even months on end. You might also find yourself in a bad neighborhood or watching someone with red flags attached.

The following tips are for your health and safety.

To preface, I’ve never had a physical confrontation in 13 years of being a private investigator, and I don’t know many people who have.

However, I know a few people who’ve had heart attacks, strokes and suffer debilitating back problems from years of surveillance.

Up until recently I was one of those people, it got to the point where my back was so bad that I couldn’t tie my shoes.

We spend a lot of time wondering what to do when attacked by another person, and very little time thinking about how to stop yourself from attacking yourself.

The following is my top 21 tips for health and safety for surveillance operatives.

Always prepare for a big day
You might be sitting around on a Friday afternoon about to open a beer or a pour a wine when suddenly you receive a phone call. The client asks if you can conduct a ‘Quick Spot Check’.
When you get there you find a person of interest and what was meant to be a quick spot check turns into a 12 plus hour shift. You didn’t bring water, you don’t have food, you’ve got quarter of a tank of petrol, you left your wallet at home and don’t have anything to charge your phone with. This is a bad situation and can be avoided. Always be prepared for a big day.
Keeping a clean space
Keeping your immediate area clean sounds like basic house training however after a few weeks of big surveillance jobs those food wrappers, coffee mugs, dirty clothes and let’s face it, toilet supplies start to add up and can become a breeding ground for problems to your immune system.
Keep a supply of garbage bags and try to dispose of trash every chance you get. Use some interior wipes to keep your seats and interior clean. It might even be a good idea to invest in a small hand held vacuum cleaner.
Furthermore, the last thing you want if you get caught by the Subject is to look like you’ve been camping out in front of their house for 2 weeks. They will often look into your vehicle whilst asking why you’re there.
Sanitary wipes / Anti Bacterial Gel
Sometimes showers are few and far between on large surveillance jobs. Keeping a supply of sanitary products for yourself can be about as close as it gets. Some of them are anti bacterial which is handy when you’ve been slow cooking in your own juices mixed in with what ever is going on with your vehicle at that time.
Pest control and sun screen
So it’s hot and you want to open a window. The moment you do, a swarm of mosquitos come flooding in. Now you’ve got the choice of cooking to death or being eaten alive - that’s not good.
Also keep in mind not every job is just you sitting in the car. I am from the gold coast and have found myself at the beach trying to figure out how to hold a camera without looking like a creep more times than I’d like to admit. Next thing you know, I look like a tomato for my next shift which isn’t very inconspicuous.
Stay cool
Heat stroke is a real and very serious problem. It doesn’t even have to be a hot day, the early morning sunrise on top of a car with the windows up in most conditions is enough.
Next thing you know you’re spewing on the Subject’s driveway.
Many investigators choose to keep their car running and use air-conditioning however there are many alternatives. There are boxed fans you can fill with ice and keep it directly on yourself, you can park in the shade, open windows, cold towels, cold drinks. Anything is better than trying to be beat the heat.
”There’s no medal for being the most uncomfortable” - Bear Grylls
Uber Eats
Old problems like hunger and thirst can be solved with modern solutions. If you’ve found yourself caught off guard in a job that is going much longer than expected, and you have the time, you can order Uber Eats or any other delivery service directly to your car. It is fast and effective. Just don’t forget to let the driver know where you are in the instructions, unless you want to watch them give your food away to the house opposite you.
Of course you run the risk of having to high tail it at any moment, in which case you can contact the driver and tell him or her to enjoy their dinner. Try not to cry.
Make better choices
Sometimes at certain times of night, it’s Macdonald’s or nothing, assuming you were not prepared with enough food for the job. This however does not mean you have to get the triple bacon cheeseburger with large drink, 20 chicken nuggets and a side of bacon.
Believe it or not, Macdonald’s and most other fast food places have healthier options - and if your job is to sit completely still for hours on end, the last thing your body needs is garbage. It’s a one two punch that will put you on the road to your first heart attack.
Stretching
I’m going to be honest with you, I have hated stretching almost my whole life and career - up until the consequences caught up with me. I stepped out of my car after multiple days and a large drive from Sydney to the Gold Coast. I opened my passenger side door and my laptop slid down the side of the seat and towards the concrete, and by just reaching out to save it I tore a muscle in the side of my body. Stretching is important, particularly for Surveillance Investigators. Take some time to do side tilts, internal and external hip stretches, neck, foot, calf, chest, arms - it’s all possible from within the driver’s seat. A little bit frequently will help lessen some of the issues you might of otherwise had.
Don't rush back into exercise
Surveillance is obviously more a mental game than a physical one. Hour after hour of sitting still can leave you quite stiff immobile. A lot of people - me included - feel a little guilty about the lack of movement or exercise after a job and like a gambling addict may try to ‘chase their losses’. This means they might get into the gym immediately and do some heavy movements - going from the extreme of doing nothing to the other extreme of a heavy / demanding workout. By rushing in while your body is in a state of stiffness the risk of injury goes up significantly. Try going for a gentle walk, swim or any other low impact exercise before you jump into the hard stuff and your body will thank you for it.
Stand up or extension
Oddly enough sitting puts more pressure on your spine than standing does. If you get the chance to stand up during a surveillance period - take it. It may help prevent some of ware and tear on your back. Another tip is take any opportunity to get into a position of extension. This can be achieved in a vehicle by laying the front seat down and laying belly first across it. I personally do this about every hour if nothing is going on and I can still see what's going on. The reason for this position is to lengthen the abs and torso spend some time doing the exact opposite of what gravity has been doing to you all day. Think of your body as a car that’s only been making left hand turns. It’s going to ware out much faster. The same goes for only ever being in one position or doing one movement.
Managing fatigue
Fatigue doesn’t seem like something synonymous with an activity that mostly involves just sitting around but anyone who thinks it’s easy has never done it for 12 or more hours straight. The fatigue affects your focus and ability to concentrate which can lead to poor decision making. Unfortunately, I’ve never been in a situation where sleep was an option during surveillance - regardless of the circumstances. I suffer from insomnia in the best or circumstances, but I still suffer the symptoms of fatigue. I manage the symptoms in some of the classical ways such as caffeine, hydration, and getting as much rest as possible between shifts. My number 1 tip however is simply to pace yourself. You don’t need to have your face pressed against the window waiting like a sprinter at the blocks at all times. Focus is a finite resource, spread it throughout the day. Keep your eyes in the direction they're meant to be in, be ready to move but at the same time relax your body, put on a podcast or listen to some relaxing music and don't burn yourself out. As much as you must be prepared for something to happen, you must be equally prepared for nothing to happen. Trust me, you’re going to spend a whole lot more time waiting than getting action. So get used to it so when the time comes you’re fresh and good to go.
Basic self defense
In over a decade of surveillance I have never been in a single fight, and I don't know many who have. I do however make sure I have more petrol than they do so I can outlast them if they decide the hunter is to become the hunted. However knowing some basic self defense is a good insurance measure to fall back on, as a last resort. It must be stressed, you will be confronted occasionally, that does not mean you have to fight anybody. Even if you can win, you probably won't win the court case if you seriously injure the person. You’ll also end up on the front page of the news paper as the private investigator who beat someone up, and if you’re a famous private investigator you’re possibly doing it wrong.
Mirages
I know this sounds ridiculous but once fatigue becomes a problem, your focus is in the toilet and your decision making ability is that of a toddler, any number of problems can arise. You might start looking at the wrong house, chase the wrong vehicle or focus on the wrong person. The reason this is a health and safety concern is you never know who you might be dealing with. Often (not always!) your clients will discuss red flags with you or you may find a few yourself in your pre checks. However if you start picking random people of the street you could end up in deep water. Take extra care as the day drags on, not less.
Client pressure
You are there. Your client probably isn't. It's your job to paint a clear picture of what’s going on and that includes hazards and risks. Try to give enough information so that they understand the situation and if you do this, it’s unlikely you'll be asked anything unreasonable. However occasionally a client will try to put a result before your safety and or career and if you’re not comfortable with a situation you need to say so. Such requests can include being too close to a subject, trespassing, speeding, parking illegally or misrepresenting yourself. It's rare, but it does happen.
Time management
Proper time management generally doesn't affect a person's health and safety in the workplace because in most industries, you go home you put your uniform or name tag on the floor, you open a drink and it's over. Even if you have to make up ground the next day, you still get to go home and relax. Surveillance is not necessarily the same. There's a report and often the client wants it yesterday and you need to be prepared for that.

The reason this lands in a health and safety article is this;
Imagine you finish a very large and busy shift and you have to do it all again in 8 hours, you've got a detailed report to do and it’s going to take 4 hours. Now you sleep is cut in half your fatigue levels are doubled, you’re stressed out and you’re trying to rush making all kinds of errors in the process. Keep in mind reports sometimes do go to court.
So how can we minimize this? Starting prior to the shift you know certain information.
Before the job
You know where you're going, you know who or what the Subject is, you can Google street view the address so you have a description, therefore you know where you’re going to park and take a Quality Assurance Photograph.
You might know what vehicle they drive and what they might do. My point is, there’s a lot of information that you can have inside a report, or outside a report ready to be copied and pasted before you’ve even started a job. Use it!
During the job
It is absolutely critical you take clear, accurate and chronological notes, whatever medium you use. Personally I use voice notes, allowing me to speak what’s going on in real time, allowing me to deliver more information faster whilst keeping my eye on the situation. This eliminates the need for memory, which is non existent with me. In any case, reports take a lot longer to compile when you’re having to put them together based on poor notes with little information, or worse, having to try to remember what happened.
After the job
You may have more days to go or the same thing may have occurred several times. If exactly the same thing happens don't be afraid of the copy and paste button. Uniformity in your wording is professional, so there’s no need to manually type something over and over using different words. Particularly in the example below.

‘The Subject entered a Black 2011 Subaru Forrester bearing Queensland Registration 123 ABC as the driver and sole occupant before departing west on Fraud Street. Mobile surveillance was conducted’.

If you can save time, you can save fatigue and stress.
Bands
I’m not talking about your favourite music, although that can be helpful. I’m talking about simple cheap exercises bands you can pick up from many department stores. These are to keep the body moving with some light resistance training inside your vehicle. I like to mostly use them to do various pull apart movement that train my upper back, arms and most importantly hips / glutes. You can achieve stimulation to the hips by wrapping a band around your legs while seated and moving your legs apart against the resistance. I’m not trying to be Arnold Schwarzenegger inside my vehicle, but if you can make keep your body moving you’ll feel much better for it.
You can also use a band to pin your shoulders back to the seat to prevent slouching. This is achieved by putting the band over the head rest and threading your arms through the loops like a back pack. Slouching certainly can’t be eliminated after a long day of sitting down, but it can be minimized. Keeping in mind, all this is only applicable if the coast is clear, otherwise it’s a weird look.
Active rest
Active rest is actually a training principal applying to athletes and it simply means this;
Just because you’re having the day off does not mean you sit on the couch and do completely nothing. The same thing can be applied to our industry.
You’ve been sitting down in the car doing surveillance, sitting down in front of the computer typing reports, sitting down on the phone to clients. Take the opportunity on days off to take a walk, go for a swim do anything but sit down and stretch out those stiff muscles.
Back Brace
When someone hurts their back the doctor gives them a back brace, which gives them support and allows them a little more freedom of movement with lesser or even no back pain as part of a rehabilitation measure.

You see weight lifters use weight lifting belts as supportive equipment and it helps tremendously in the support of incredible feats of strength, speed and power.
A belt may also be used as a supportive device to someone who is just sitting around for long periods of time. It has been argued that a support belt may weaken the abdominal muscles as you become reliant on it, however I would disagree and say that it makes you stronger for two reasons.
It creates intra abdominal pressure - which not long supports the back but creates resistance to work against.
It helps to prevent slouching which in turn prevents pain that may cause you to not be able to do any exercise or movement without severe pain.
A belt does not have to be a giant leather power lifting belt, it can be something as simple as a small Velcro belt which can be easily applied and removed - which is important. Next time you have a long drive or shift I would encourage you to try this out.
How to end a job
Unfortunately sometimes a client or principal company can get busy and just leave you out in the field indefinitely. Regular updates are the key if you wish to avoid being forgotten. I will update clients in real time as things happen at the earliest opportunity possible.
If nothing this happening I will say so approximately every hour. If it seems like time is being wasted, ask for a protocol in case of inactivity. Usually at that point you will be provided with a finish time.

If you are getting no response at all from the client, which happens more than often, recheck your original instructions to see if there’s a protocol in place, if not, cease at a reasonable time such as if the Subject has gone to bed, or if there’s been more than 4 hours of inactivity. Again, each job is different, and each client is different. If you work for a principal company, you have to keep in mind two things - Their reputation is in your hands - and they get paid by the hour as well. This is to say - don’t cut a job short for no good reason.
Getting home safely
You are not safe until you are home. This is a mantra you should remind yourself of continually. If the job is done, assess your level of fatigue. If you’re 3 hours from home and you’ve had a big day, it may not be wise to drive home immediately. If you need a stop, revive, survive then take it. If you need a coffee drink it. If you need a hotel room, book it. wotif.com is on the front page of my phone apps list for this reason.
Be aware of your surroundings - you’ve just been watching someone. You know where they live, you know where their kids go to school, you know how they like their coffee. If you’ve been compromised, this can be pretty distressing to the Subject. So make sure you’re not being followed, and if you are, do not go home and if necessary call the Police.
Your car seat
Last but not least, probably the most under-rated tip is the health of your car seat. How old is it? What is the weight limit? Is it right for my body type?. Sitting in the wrong seat for a long time can be the difference between walking away or crawling away from your car in this industry. If you’re having issues with it, don’t try to be tough about it. Changes to a seat could be something as simple as an adjustment or an attachment.
Going back to the example of a car that can only turn left, if you always sit the same way, you’re going to ware out faster. Adjust and change your seating arrangement regularly and you’ll thank yourself for it.
If you’re unsure consult a professional such as a physio.