PSC Kenya flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

PSRA

The Private Security Regulatory Authority established under the Private Security Regulation Act, 2016, to license providers, register guards, set standards, and discipline the private security industry in Kenya.

Citizen's arrest power

A private security officer may arrest a person reasonably suspected of committing an offence, using powers available to any citizen under the Criminal Procedure Code, then hand the suspect to police promptly.

Licence to operate

A private security service provider must hold a valid PSRA licence before offering services; operating unlicensed is an offence and grounds for prosecution and closure.

Confidentiality duty

A guard must not disclose client information, security layouts, access codes, or operational details except to authorised persons with a genuine need to know.

Conflict of interest

A situation where a guard's personal interest, gift, or relationship could improperly influence a security decision; it must be declared and avoided.

Professional boundaries

Limits on a guard's conduct and authority: no police impersonation, no sleeping or intoxication on duty, no unauthorised use of client property.

Defence in depth

Layering security controls such as perimeter, building envelope, interior zones, and asset protection so that a single failure does not compromise the whole site.

Tailgating

An unauthorised person following an authorised person through a controlled door without presenting their own credential; countered by one-person-per-swipe rules and observation.

Visitor management

A controlled process of sign-in, host confirmation, badge issue, escort where required, and sign-out reconciliation to account for every visitor on site.

Key control

A regime of serialised keys, signed issue and return registers, secure storage, and prompt re-keying after loss or staff departure to prevent unauthorised access.

Occurrence book

The primary operational record where guards enter chronological, timed, factual accounts of events, checks, and handovers; entries must never be erased or altered.

Shift handover

A structured briefing transferring outstanding tasks, incidents, keys, equipment, and changes in instructions from the outgoing to the incoming shift, recorded and signed.

Random patrol timing

Varying patrol intervals and routes so offenders cannot predict guard movement, increasing the deterrent and detection value of each patrol.

Incident report content

A factual record covering who, what, when, where, how, actions taken, witnesses, and items secured, written in the first person without speculation.

Report correction method

Errors in a written report are corrected by a dated, signed addendum or strike-through with initials, never by overwriting or destroying the original entry.

Life safety first

The overriding emergency priority: protect and evacuate people before stabilising the incident or protecting property, which come afterwards.

RACE

Fire response sequence: Rescue anyone in danger, Alarm the alarm, Contain or confine the fire, and Evacuate or Extinguish only if trained and safe.

Assembly point roll call

A check at the designated muster point confirming who is present and identifying missing persons for the emergency services; no re-entry until authorised.

DRSABCD

First aid sequence: Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation, applied in order at every emergency.

Adult CPR rate

Chest compressions at 100 to 120 per minute, 5 to 6 centimetres deep, in a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths.

PASS technique

Extinguisher use: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side until the fire is out.

Crime triangle

The three elements required for crime: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the opportunity to act; security work targets opportunity.

CPTED

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design: using natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement, and maintenance to reduce criminal opportunity in a space.

Risk formula

Risk is assessed as likelihood multiplied by impact; controls are chosen to reduce likelihood, impact, or both to an acceptable residual level.

Chain of custody

A documented record of every transfer of evidence, showing date, time, from whom, to whom, and purpose, to prove the item was not tampered with.

Observation limits

Accuracy of what a guard sees is affected by lighting, distance, exposure time, stress, and expectancy bias, so notes must be made immediately.

Radio message order

Identify yourself, state your location, state what you have or need, and keep the message brief, using plain language and the phonetic alphabet.

Service recovery

Responding to a complaint by acknowledging the concern, apologising for the experience, acting to resolve it, and following up with the person.

Access refusal script

Explain the policy reason for refusal, offer alternatives such as host contact or visitor pass, remain calm, and record the decision in the occurrence book.

PPE principle

Personal protective equipment is the last line of defence in the hierarchy of controls; it supplements engineering and administrative measures but never replaces them.

Proportionate force

Force must be lawful, necessary, and no more than required to prevent harm or achieve a lawful purpose, stopping once the objective is met.

Phishing indicators

Warning signs include unexpected urgency, mismatched sender addresses, suspicious links or attachments, and requests for passwords or access codes.