Manned Guarding
Private Security Industry Act 2001
If you are responsible for the security of property and premises, including patrols, surveillance, cash in transit, guarding people against assault and handling dogs for security purposes and employed under contract you will require a licence.
What is a licensable activity?
Guarding premises against unauthorised access or occupation, outbreaks of disorder or damage; guarding (including providing a physical presence, or carrying out patrols or surveillance) property against destruction, damage or theft; and guarding one or more persons against assault.
Examples of a licensable activity
- Guarding premises.
- Guarding property or people against harm including guarding cash or other valuables in transit.
- Guards in supermarkets and shopping centres, guards at building sites and personal bodyguards.
- Security staff at concerts will need a licence if their services are supplied under contract and they are wholly or mainly employed to keep order.
- Stewards employed under contract by a football club would require a licence since their security duties are more than just incidental to the main purpose of their job. Stewards at protests or demonstrations tend to be employed wholly for the purpose of keeping order.
- Security staff employed under contract to monitor CCTV screens.
Who will need a licence?
Anyone involved with work of a manned guarding nature by way of business or employment supplied under contract will require a licence. This includes employees, employers, managers, supervisors and directors of security companies.
Who will not need a licence?
- Manned guards employed in-house.
- Stewards (anyone who helps to supervise some event or proceedings in an official capacity) employed directly (in-house) by a football club.
- People who may occasionally be required to maintain order and discipline amongst individuals but are not manned guards, such as teachers.
- People who carry out security activities incidentally to their main activities. e.g. a shop assistant who may be responsible for locking up at the end of the day.
- Those employed to check tickets, invitations or passes such as cinema ushers will not require licence.
- Non operational support staff in the Manned Guarding sector e.g. porters and handymen.
- Installers of CCTV equipment.