UPMSP Vocational Security key terms

The legal and moral obligation of a security officer to take reasonable steps to protect the safety and property of people on the premises, avoiding acts or omissions that could foreseeably cause harm.

The minimum level of physical intervention a guard may use to stop a threat or prevent escape, judged by what a sensible person would consider necessary and proportionate in the same situation.

A power allowing a private person to detain someone caught committing a serious offence, or reasonably suspected of it, and hand the person to police without delay; the detention must be lawful and brief.

The right to use proportionate force to repel an unlawful attack on oneself or another person, limited to the danger actually faced and stopping once the threat ends.

Failure to exercise the standard of care a reasonable security professional would show, resulting in foreseeable harm, and giving the injured party grounds for a civil claim for damages.

Entering or remaining on private property without the owner's permission or lawful authority, which a security officer may lawfully ask the person to leave and may remove using minimum necessary force.

The set of procedures and hardware that decide who may enter a restricted area, when, and under what conditions, using identity checks, badges, locks, turnstiles or electronic readers.

The outer boundary of a protected site, such as walls, fences, gates, lighting and patrol routes, designed to delay or detect intruders before they reach valuable assets.

The process of recording, badging and escorting non-employees on site so that every visitor's identity, purpose and time of departure are known and traceable.

Closed-circuit television: a system of cameras and monitors, often recording to storage, used to observe and document activity across a site for deterrence and later evidence.

The documented, unbroken record of who handled an item of evidence, when and why, from seizure to court, proving that it was not altered or contaminated.

A factual written record of an event, describing who, what, when, where, how and what action was taken, written promptly, objectively and without opinion or blame.

A bound or electronic register in which guards record entries, exits, patrols, handovers and unusual events in chronological order, signed and timed for accountability.

The structured briefing at the end of a shift in which outgoing staff pass keys, equipment, pending issues and observations to the incoming guard, both signing the record.

A planned or random walk through assigned areas to deter crime, check locks, detect hazards and observe conditions, usually confirmed by checkpoint tags or electronic logging.

The three elements needed for combustion - fuel, oxygen and heat - which firefighting removes or interrupts by cooling, smothering or starving the fire.

Groupings of fires by fuel type: Class A solids, B flammable liquids, C gases, D metals and electrical fires, each matched to a suitable extinguisher and never used on the wrong class.

The four-step method for using a fire extinguisher: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side, while keeping a safe escape route behind you.

A pre-designated safe outdoor location where evacuees gather after leaving a building so that roll call can confirm everyone is accounted for and no one re-enters.

The list used at an assembly point to check off evacuated persons and identify anyone missing, enabling rescue teams to be directed to specific locations.

A scheduled rehearsal of an emergency escape, testing alarms, routes, exits and staff roles so that real evacuations run quickly and without panic.

Immediate, temporary care given to an injured or suddenly ill person before professional medical help arrives, aimed at preserving life, preventing worsening and promoting recovery.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: cycles of chest compressions, and rescue breaths if trained, delivered to a person in cardiac arrest to keep oxygenated blood circulating until help arrives.

Automated external defibrillator: a portable device that analyses heart rhythm and delivers a controlled shock to restart a stopped heart, used alongside CPR with voice prompts.

A stable side-lying posture for an unconscious but breathing casualty that keeps the airway open and allows fluids to drain, preventing choking while help is awaited.

Gear such as helmets, gloves, boots, goggles and high-visibility vests worn to shield a worker from workplace hazards, inspected before use and replaced when damaged.

The systematic process of spotting conditions or acts that could cause injury or damage, so that risks can be assessed, controlled or reported before an incident occurs.

A structured evaluation of how likely and how severe each identified hazard is, used to decide which controls to apply and to prioritise action.

The order of preference for managing risk: eliminate the hazard, substitute it, engineer safeguards, apply administrative rules, and finally rely on personal protective equipment.

A pictogram or notice conveying a warning, prohibition, mandatory action or safe condition, colour-coded (red, yellow, blue, green) so it is understood at a glance.

A dangerous build-up of pressure in a dense crowd that restricts breathing and can cause asphyxiation or trampling even when people are standing still.

The movement of people through an area, managed by wide entry lanes, one-way routes, clear signage and timed release to prevent bottlenecks and surges.

The placement, inspection and staffing of fences, rails and temporary barriers to channel crowds, protect vulnerable points and allow rapid opening of escape routes if needed.

Directing vehicles and pedestrians at events or sites using hand signals, cones, signs and designated lanes to keep movement orderly and prevent collisions.

The standard discipline for voice communication: identify yourself and the recipient, keep messages short and clear, use agreed codes, and acknowledge every instruction.

Systematic observation of people or premises for security purposes, which must be lawful, proportionate and limited to what is necessary, with footage handled confidentially.

A person's right to control access to their personal information and image; guards must collect only necessary data, store it securely and disclose it only to authorised parties.

The basic freedoms every person holds regardless of status, including dignity, liberty and freedom from torture; security work must respect them even when dealing with suspects.

A graduated scale of responses from mere presence and verbal direction up to physical restraint, guiding an officer to match the level of force to the threat faced.