PSC Kenya key terms

The statutory body established under Kenya's Private Security Regulation Act to license private security service providers and guards, set standards, and discipline members of the private security industry.

Kenyan legislation that governs the licensing, training, conduct and oversight of private security firms and individual guards, and creates the regulatory authority that enforces those requirements.

A credential issued by the regulator permitting a person to work as a private security guard; it is personal, must be carried on duty, and can be suspended or revoked for misconduct.

The set of professional and ethical standards binding on licensed guards and firms, covering integrity, lawful conduct, courtesy, sobriety, uniform standards and reporting obligations, with breaches attracting disciplinary action.

A situation where a guard's personal, financial or family interests could improperly influence their duties, such as guarding premises linked to a relative or accepting gifts from a contractor.

Offering, accepting or demanding money or favours to influence a security decision, such as allowing unauthorised entry; prohibited by the code of conduct and by anti-corruption law.

The personal quality of honesty and consistent adherence to ethical rules even when unobserved, forming the foundation of trustworthy guarding, accurate reporting and resistance to corruption.

Reporting wrongdoing, such as theft, corruption or safety violations by colleagues or supervisors, through proper internal or statutory channels, with legal protection against retaliation for good-faith disclosure.

The systematic process of restricting entry to premises, assets or information to authorised persons only, using identification checks, registers, barriers, locks and electronic systems.

A log recording each visitor's name, identity document, host, purpose of visit, time in and time out, used to account for all non-staff persons on site during an emergency or investigation.

Confirming that a person is who they claim to be by checking a genuine photo identity document, matching the photograph and details, and comparing against authorised access lists.

The outer layer of physical protection, including fences, walls, gates, lighting, clear zones and intrusion detection, designed to delay or deter unauthorised approach to a protected site.

The planned coordination of guards, posts, rosters, instructions and communications to protect people and property consistently across shifts and changing conditions.

Written instructions for a specific guard post describing duties, access rules, patrol requirements, emergency actions and reporting lines, which the guard must read and follow.

A structured briefing at change of shift in which the outgoing guard passes on incidents, outstanding tasks, keys, equipment and site conditions to the incoming guard, recorded in writing.

A nominal list of personnel expected on duty or present at an assembly point, used to confirm attendance at roll call and to account for people during evacuation.

A planned, systematic movement through an assigned area on foot or by vehicle to deter crime, detect hazards and irregularities, and confirm that protective measures are working.

A physical checkpoint, often with a key, token or electronic tag, that a guard must visit during patrol to prove the route and timing were actually completed.

A factual written record of an unusual event, describing who, what, when, where and how, plus actions taken and witnesses, written promptly in clear, objective and non-speculative language.

A documented set of procedures, roles, contacts and resources for reacting to fire, medical, security or natural emergencies, practised through regular drills and reviewed after each activation.

The orderly movement of people away from danger to a safe assembly area using designated routes, avoiding lifts, assisting vulnerable persons and following instructions from wardens.

A pre-identified safe outdoor location where evacuees gather so they can be counted and accounted for, away from the building and clear of emergency vehicle access.

The three elements needed for combustion - fuel, oxygen and heat - used to explain why fire is extinguished by removing fuel, smothering oxygen or cooling the heat.

Groupings of fire by fuel type (solids, flammable liquids, gases, metals, cooking oils) and the matching extinguisher ratings, so the correct agent is chosen and the wrong one avoided.

A 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 an escape route behind you.

The first rapid first-aid assessment - Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation - performed before any treatment to identify and address immediate threats to life.

A safe side-lying posture for an unconscious but breathing casualty that keeps the airway open and allows fluids to drain, used while waiting for emergency medical help.

Rhythmic chest compressions, with rescue breaths where trained, used to maintain blood circulation in a casualty who is unresponsive and not breathing normally until help arrives.

Designing and managing space to reduce crime by improving natural surveillance, access control, territorial reinforcement and maintenance, so offenders feel observed and deterred.

Reducing opportunities for crime by hardening targets, removing tools, increasing risk of detection and reducing rewards, rather than focusing on changing offenders' character.

The disciplined use of sight, hearing and other senses to notice and mentally record relevant details accurately, distinguishing observed fact from assumption or inference.

The documented, unbroken record of who handled, moved and stored an item of evidence, from seizure to court, proving it was not tampered with or contaminated.

Agreed rules for speaking on a radio network, including call signs, clear and brief speech, standard phonetic alphabet, priority phrases and listening before transmitting.

Treating visitors, staff and the public courteously, attentively and fairly while still enforcing security rules, so that security is experienced as service rather than obstruction.

Managing the impression the security team creates through appearance, tone, helpfulness and consistency, which builds cooperation from the public and reduces confrontation.

Items such as helmets, boots, gloves, high-visibility vests and eye protection worn to reduce injury risk, which must be suitable, maintained and used as instructed.

A structured process of identifying hazards, judging the likelihood and severity of harm, and deciding controls to eliminate or reduce risk, recorded and reviewed periodically.

Legal and practical duties to provide a safe workplace, safe systems of work, training, welfare facilities and reporting of accidents, covering both employees and others affected.

Fundamental entitlements of every person, such as life, dignity, liberty, fair treatment and freedom from torture, which security work must respect even when enforcing rules.

Physical intervention against a person, lawful only when necessary, proportionate to the threat and no more than required, with the minimum level applied for the shortest time.

Someone at greater risk of harm or unable to protect themselves, such as a child, older person, person with disability, or someone in distress, who needs adapted communication and extra care.

The duty to collect, store, use and share personal information lawfully, securely and only for stated purposes, respecting individuals' rights over their own data.

Keeping sensitive information, such as visitor records, incident details or client operations, secret from unauthorised persons and disclosing it only to those who need it.