Sri Lanka Security Guard key terms

A government body that licenses private security firms and registers individual guards, sets minimum training and conduct standards, and can suspend or cancel a licence after misconduct or legal breach.

The limited power of a private person to detain someone who is committing or has just committed a serious offence, requiring the person be handed to police promptly and only reasonable force used.

The amount of physical intervention a guard applies in a situation, which must be lawful, necessary, proportionate to the threat and stopped as soon as the danger has passed.

The minimum physical effort a guard may use to prevent harm, protect property or detain a suspect, judged by what a careful person would consider appropriate in the same circumstances.

The legal and moral obligation of a guard to protect the safety and wellbeing of people on the premises, including visitors, staff and trespassers who may be injured.

Failure to exercise the level of care a reasonable guard would show, causing injury or loss, which can lead to civil liability and disciplinary action against the guard and employer.

Entering or remaining on private property without permission or lawful authority, which a guard may address by asking the person to leave and calling police if they refuse.

The procedures and physical measures that decide who may enter a site, where they may go and when, using identity checks, passes, gates, turnstiles and locked doors.

The outermost line of defence around a site, formed by fences, walls, gates, lighting, barriers and patrol routes that delay or deter unauthorised entry.

A written or electronic log recording each visitor's name, identity document number, purpose of visit, time in, time out and the staff member who authorised entry.

A security design principle where several independent barriers, such as a fence, a locked gate, a reception check and an alarm, must all be defeated before an asset is reached.

Closed-circuit television, a system of cameras that records or transmits images to a monitoring point, used to deter crime, verify incidents and provide evidence after an event.

The three elements needed for fire: fuel, oxygen and heat. Removing any one of them, for example by cooling with water or smothering, extinguishes the fire.

The grouping of fires by fuel type, commonly A for solids, B for flammable liquids, C for gases, D for metals and electrical fires, which decides the correct extinguisher to use.

A four-step method for using an extinguisher: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle and Sweep from side to side until the fire is out.

A pre-arranged safe location outside a building where staff and visitors gather after evacuation so that a headcount can be taken and missing persons reported.

A trained person responsible for checking that an area is cleared during evacuation, guiding people to the assembly point, closing doors and reporting the result to the incident controller.

A planned practice evacuation that tests alarm systems, escape routes, warden duties and headcount procedures so that real emergencies are handled faster and more calmly.

The first rapid check of a casualty, covering Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation, to find and treat immediately life-threatening problems before anything else.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: cycles of chest compressions, and rescue breaths if trained, given to a person who is unresponsive and not breathing normally to keep blood circulating.

A safe side-lying posture for an unconscious person who is breathing, which keeps the airway open and allows fluids to drain from the mouth while help is awaited.

A set of verbal and non-verbal techniques, such as calm speech, distance, open posture and active listening, used to reduce tension before a situation becomes violent.

A dangerous build-up of pressure in a dense crowd that can cause compression asphyxia, often without panic, and is managed by controlling flow and relieving pressure points.

A physical structure such as a steel fence or line of guards used to hold back or channel a crowd, which must have planned gaps so pressure does not build dangerously.

A factual written record of an event, giving the time, place, people involved, actions taken and witnesses, written promptly and without opinion or speculation.

The documented, unbroken record of who handled evidence, when and where, from seizure to handover, which proves the item has not been tampered with or lost.

Notes made at the time of an event or immediately afterwards, recording facts in a notebook that may later support a full report or be produced as evidence in court.

A planned path through a site with set checkpoints and timings, designed to cover vulnerable areas, vary unpredictably and prove that checks were actually carried out.

Systematic observation of people, vehicles or areas to detect and deter crime, gather information or support an investigation, carried out lawfully and with respect for privacy.

The skill of noticing and remembering specific details such as faces, clothing, vehicles and behaviour, using a structured method rather than vague general impressions.

The rules and practices that protect workers from injury and illness at work, covering risk assessment, safe equipment, training, first aid and reporting of hazards.

Items worn or carried to reduce the risk of injury, such as boots, gloves, high-visibility vest, helmet, torch and radio, which must be inspected and used as instructed.

Working alone without direct supervision, which requires a check-in schedule, a means of raising alarm and a written risk assessment because help may be delayed.

The basic freedoms every person holds, such as dignity, liberty, privacy and freedom from torture, which a guard must respect even when dealing with suspects or trespassers.

Treating a person less favourably because of race, religion, sex, age, disability or similar characteristic, which is unlawful and breaches professional standards for guards.

A situation where a guard's personal interest, such as a friendship or a bribe, could improperly influence their duties, which must be declared and avoided.

The agreed rules for speaking on a radio network, including call signs, clear short messages, standard phrases and priority for emergency traffic.

A set of spoken code words, such as Alpha, Bravo and Charlie, used to spell names or registration numbers clearly over a radio when letters could be misheard.