Sri Lanka Security Guard common mistakes
Sri Lanka Security Guard · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
When asked about a guard's legal authority to arrest, the candidate states that a security guard can arrest anyone who commits an offence on the premises, without mentioning the need for the offence to be cognizable or the immediate presentation to a police officer or magistrate.
Candidates confuse the powers of a private citizen with those of a police officer, and they have not studied the Criminal Procedure Code's provisions on citizen's arrest (Section 32) and the limits on detention.
What to do instead
Memorise the citizen's arrest rule: a private person may arrest without a warrant only for a cognizable offence, and must without unnecessary delay hand the arrested person over to a police officer or take him before a magistrate. Practise applying it to scenarios such as a shoplifter or a trespasser, and state clearly that a guard cannot search a person without consent or lawful authority.
When describing access control at a gate, the candidate lists only 'check ID' and 'sign the register', omitting the need to verify the ID against the person, check the purpose of the visit, issue and record a visitor pass, and escort or direct the visitor.
Candidates rely on general common sense rather than a structured access-control procedure, and they have not practised the full visitor-management cycle.
What to do instead
Learn the five-step visitor process: (1) stop and greet, (2) verify identity with a photo ID, (3) confirm authorisation or appointment, (4) issue a clearly visible pass and record entry, (5) direct or escort and record exit. Rehearse it for deliveries, contractors, and VIPs, and note what to do when ID is refused.
In a fire-evacuation question, the candidate says 'tell people to leave' but does not mention activating the alarm, calling the fire service, checking accessible routes, or the assembly point and roll call.
Candidates treat evacuation as a single action rather than a sequence with defined roles, and they have not studied the fire emergency plan.
What to do instead
Memorise the evacuation sequence: raise the alarm, call the fire brigade, evacuate by the nearest safe route, do not use lifts, go to the designated assembly point, conduct a roll call, and report missing persons to the incident commander. Practise with a simple floor-plan scenario and state who does what.
When asked to perform CPR on an adult, the candidate gives 10 or 15 compressions to 2 breaths, or gives breaths without chest compressions, and does not mention the correct rate or depth.
Candidates mix up adult, child, and infant ratios, or rely on outdated memory, and they have not drilled the current basic life support sequence.
What to do instead
Learn the current adult BLS sequence: check safety, check response, shout for help, open the airway, check breathing, call emergency services, and start 30 chest compressions (depth 5–6 cm, rate 100–120 per minute) to 2 rescue breaths. Use a metronome or count aloud in practice, and state the ratio clearly for adults, children, and infants.
In a crowd-control scenario, the candidate proposes shouting at the crowd, threatening arrest, or physically pushing people back as the first response.
Candidates equate crowd control with physical dominance and have not learned the de-escalation ladder or the risks of confrontation.
What to do instead
Learn the de-escalation sequence: assess the situation from a safe distance, use calm and respectful language, identify yourself, explain the reason for the instruction, offer choices, and only use physical intervention as a last resort with proportionate force. Practise a script for a queue dispute and a protest, and state when to call for police support.
When writing an incident report, the candidate includes opinions such as 'the man was drunk and aggressive' or 'he was obviously a thief', and omits the time, location, and exact words used.
Candidates write as if telling a story to a colleague rather than producing a factual legal record, and they have not learned the difference between observation and inference.
What to do instead
Use the report-writing rule: record what you saw, heard, and did, in chronological order, with date, time, location, names, and exact quotations. Replace opinions with observable facts, e.g. 'smelt of alcohol, swayed when standing, spoke loudly' instead of 'was drunk'. Practise converting a narrative into a factual report and note that reports may be used in court.
When describing a patrol, the candidate says 'walk around and look' without mentioning varying routes and times, checking doors and windows, using a torch, recording checkpoint visits, or observing and reporting.
Candidates underestimate the planning and documentation required for patrols and have not studied patrol principles.
What to do instead
Learn the elements of an effective patrol: planned but varied routes and timings, systematic checking of locks, windows, lights, and fire exits, use of checkpoints or clocking systems, observation of people and vehicles, and a written patrol log. Practise describing a night patrol of a small warehouse, including what to check and what to record.
In an occupational health and safety question, the candidate focuses only on the guard's own safety and forgets the guard's duty to report hazards, use personal protective equipment, and follow safe manual-handling and fire-safety procedures.
Candidates see OHS as a set of rules for other workers and have not applied the employer's and employee's duties under the Factories Ordinance and related regulations to the security role.
What to do instead
Learn the guard's OHS duties: follow safe systems of work, use PPE provided, report hazards and defects, do not operate equipment without training, and know emergency procedures. Practise identifying hazards in a guardhouse or at a gate and state the correct reporting line.
When asked about a guard's conduct, the candidate says a guard may search a visitor's bag or detain a suspect in a room until police arrive, without mentioning consent, reasonable grounds, or the risk of false imprisonment.
Candidates believe a guard has police-like powers and have not studied the legal and ethical limits on search and detention.
What to do instead
Learn the rules: a search requires consent or lawful authority; a guard may use reasonable force only in lawful defence of persons or property; detention must be handed over to police without unnecessary delay. Apply these to scenarios such as a suspected shoplifter and a bag check at an event, and state the consequences of exceeding them.
When using a two-way radio, the candidate gives a long, informal message such as 'Hey, there's a problem at the back gate, come quick', without identifying the caller, the location, or the nature of the problem.
Candidates treat the radio like a telephone and have not learned radio procedure or the need for brevity and clarity.
What to do instead
Learn the standard radio message format: identify yourself, state your location, describe the problem, and state what you need. Use phonetic alphabet and clear speech, and keep the channel free for emergencies. Practise a script for reporting an intruder and for requesting assistance.