RiskUKOctober2017

BSIA Briefing
right workplace facilities and reporting
incidents when they occur such that lessons
can be learned for the future.
‘Near miss’ reporting
An important area that’s often overlooked is
that of ‘near miss’ reporting. Near miss
reporting is a vital part of accident prevention
and helps to create a safer working
environment for everyone.
Many near misses occur and remain
unreported because people often forget the
crucial role that near misses play in accident
and incident prevention. A near miss is an
unplanned event that didn’t result in an injury,
illness or damage, but most certainly had the
potential to do so. For example, when a
member of the security team is carrying out a
vehicle search, a stored item may fall out, but
the officer doesn’t sustain an injury and the
item itself isn’t damaged.
Near miss reporting is not to be confused
with hazard reporting. Hazard reporting is when
a potential hazard – such as a wet floor, for
example – is identified, but a near miss is when
someone actually slips on that wet floor
without sustaining any injury. It’s equally
important to report both.
Reporting near misses enables businesses to
learn essential lessons, take corrective actions
and, most importantly, prevent similar or more
serious occurrences from materialising in the
future. It has been shown that a serious injury
is often preceded by a number of near misses
or warnings, meaning that an unreported near
miss could be the next accident.
As well as the Health and Safety risks present
in most workplaces – such as slips and trips,
working at heights, electrical hazards and
ergonomic hazards (to name a few) – there are
additional risks to consider for security
personnel due to the environments and
situations in which they might find themselves.
Violence reduction
Research commissioned by the Security
Industry Authority (SIA) back in April 2015
identifies that security personnel believe the
potential for violence to be perpetrated on
them is an ongoing problem. They expect to
have to deal with a certain degree of violence
as part of their work.
“Reporting near misses enables businesses to learn
essential lessons, take corrective actions and, most
importantly, prevent similar or more serious occurrences
from materialising in the future”
In fact, the research reveals that, during the
year covered by the study, 37.67% of
respondents had experienced a physical
assault requiring First Aid, with 2.75% of these
interviewees reporting that physical assaults
needing First Aid treatment had occurred ten
times or more. 19.91% of respondents to the
SIA’s research also claimed to have experienced
a physical assault requiring hospital treatment.
It therefore comes as no surprise to learn
that reducing acts of violence against security
personnel is a key concern for our industry
bodies, many of which are represented through
a multi-agency Violence Reduction Advisory
Group established by the SIA.
The group includes representatives from a
wide range of stakeholders, including the
British Security Industry Association, the
Government, the police service, local
authorities, the HSE and both buyers and
providers of private security solutions as well
as a wide range of other organisations. It has
already made significant progress in a number
of areas that contribute towards the SIA’s
violence reduction strategy.
Indeed, the group has provided a healthy and
informed challenge of the SIA’s progress in
delivering on its strategy and action plan and
has championed cross-cutting initiatives which
require support from multiple organisations. An
example of one of these initiatives is training –
either training requirements and standards
mandated by the Regulator or further
voluntarily adopted training. Conflict resolution
training features highly in the SIA’s research
results as a method for reducing violence.
Health and Safety Forum
Another group that aims to improve Health and
Safety within the security industry is the BSIA’s
Health and Safety Forum. The Health and Safety
Forum meets regularly as a vehicle for
employers in the security sector to share
knowledge and Best Practice and remain up-todate
with the latest changes to Health and
Safety legislation and standards.
This group of employers is currently collating
statistics relating to workplace incidents such
that trends specific to the security business
sector may be identified and mitigated.
Members are also planning to develop industryspecific
guidance with a view to helping
employers manage Health and Safety, taking
into account the risks that security personnel
are most likely to encounter in their duties.
Ultimately, by striving to achieve Best
Practice in the management of Health and
Safety, the risks to employees can be
significantly reduced by the host organisation.
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