When my daughter was in her late teens, she worked in one of the local nightclubs until the wee small hours.
I was always worried about her getting to and from the club but I never really considered her safety whilst she was working inside.
One evening, a punter took exception to the speed that she was pouring his drink. He reached over and grabbed her by the throat.
Fortunately she was able to fend him off and he was immediately grabbed by the security staff, who had rushed over at the first sign of a problem. They escorted this individual out of the building.
My daughter was shaken but not stirred and continued to work there for the rest of the year.
Showing the door to unlicensed doormen
Future work in other pubs revealed that the level of security staffing was not always as exceptional. And she often found herself escorting much larger individuals out of her place of work.
It’s not always easy to employ the right people as doormen. There are so many different industries requiring different approaches. It’s not just pubs and clubs, but supermarkets, construction sites, college campuses and the offices of charities and public bodies who provide support.
Businesses in these industries often turn to agencies to provide the staff required to protect their property and employees.
When you own a business that requires security personnel, you expect the companies supplying those individuals to be properly licensed and accredited.
But two recent court cases have shown that this is not always the case.
Both involved agency owners using unlicensed personnel.
The private security industry is regulated by the SIA in order to prevent untrained and unaccountable operators from risking public safety. And they will always prosecute in this type of case because:
“Irresponsible and non-compliant security operators are a danger to the public.”
Check licenses and other documentation
Just because a company says they hold the required paperwork, doesn’t mean they actually do.
It is vital that you ask to see these documents. AND that you know what you are looking at.
And it is also important that you keep proper CCTV footage of any incidents involving your doormen.
It’s not just thieves who fear CCTV cameras.
