Clients demand accreditation before we can tender. Can you get us there?

Yes, and to deadline. Security is a documentation-heavy sector: accrediting bodies want evidence of competence and compliance across the whole operation. We run the process end to end, and accreditation support is one of the few things we price fixed.

We run a canine section. Does that change our health and safety duties?

It adds a layer most security firms have nothing in writing for: animal welfare processes and procedures alongside the handler-side risks. We build both into the management system so the dogs, the handlers and the paperwork all stand up to scrutiny.

Is lone working legal for security officers?

Yes. Lone working is not illegal, but the employer must assess the risks and put controls in place, such as check calls, escalation procedures, lone worker devices where justified, and limits on what an officer does alone.

What does the Guard Dogs Act 1975 require?

A guard dog must not be used at premises unless a handler capable of controlling it is present and the dog is under the handler's control, or the dog is secured so that it cannot roam freely. A warning notice must be displayed at each entrance to the premises.

Security Industry Health & Safety Consultant

The visible risk in security is the obvious one: people working alone, often at night, with the potential for violence from outside. But the heavier load on a security firm is documentation. Accrediting bodies and client procurement demand extensive evidence of competence and compliance, and winning the work depends on producing it. We took one security firm from a standing start to Constructionline Silver in twelve days; the case study is on the services page.

Does security fall under health and safety?

Yes. A security company is an employer like any other, with the same duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to protect its officers and anyone affected by its work. Security brings its own risk profile on top: officers working alone, often at night, on premises the company does not control, with the potential for violence. And because clients increasingly demand accreditation before awarding contracts, the documentation behind those duties has become part of winning the work.

Accreditation and client documentation

Clients and their procurement teams ask for SSIP accreditation, Constructionline, client prequalification questionnaires and evidence of competence across the operation. We took one security firm from a standing start to Constructionline Silver in twelve days, and we run the process end to end, usually against a contract deadline.

Assignment-specific risk assessments

Every site a security officer works on is a different workplace, controlled by the client. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers sharing a workplace to cooperate and coordinate. That means an assignment-level risk assessment for each contract, built from the client's own information about site hazards, emergency arrangements and access.

Lone working

There is no law that bans lone working, but the risk must be assessed and controlled. For security officers that usually means scheduled check calls, an escalation procedure when a call is missed, lone worker devices where the risk justifies them, and clear limits on what an officer should and should not attempt alone.

Violence and aggression

Officers are expected to challenge, refuse entry and sometimes detain, which puts them in conflict with members of the public. Violence at work must be assessed like any other risk: conflict management training, staffing levels, body worn cameras where appropriate, reporting procedures and support after an incident. Injuries from workplace violence can be reportable under RIDDOR.

Night work and fatigue

Long shifts and night work are standard in security. The Working Time Regulations 1998 require night workers to be offered a free health assessment and limit average night work. Fatigue affects alertness, driving to and from shifts, and decision making in a confrontation, so rostering belongs in the risk assessment.

Gatehouse and traffic duties

Gate and barrier duties put officers among moving vehicles, often in poor light. Positioning, high visibility clothing, lighting, safe refuges and the client's traffic management arrangements all need to be part of the assignment instructions.

Guard dogs and canine sections

Firms with a dog section carry extra duties. The Guard Dogs Act 1975 requires a guard dog to be under the control of a handler, or secured so it cannot roam freely, with warning notices at entrances. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 places a duty of care on whoever is responsible for the dog. We build welfare processes and handler risk assessments into the safety management system.

Competence and training records

Front line officers hold SIA licences, but health and safety competence goes further: induction to each site, emergency procedures, first aid, conflict management and any specialist tasks. Training records that link each officer to each requirement are what accreditation assessors and clients ask to see.

Health and safety in the security industry.