NZ Property Guard COA key terms

The New Zealand statute that licenses security guards and sets minimum standards of conduct, training, and accountability for people providing security services for reward.

A credential issued under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010 that allows a person to work as a security guard; working without one is an offence.

The approval held by a security firm or individual contractor to supply security services; it covers the business entity rather than each individual guard.

The professional standards regulations require guards to follow, covering honesty, courtesy, lawful use of authority, and avoiding conflicts of interest while on duty.

The limited power under the Crimes Act 1961 for any person to detain someone found committing an offence against a person or property, provided it is done lawfully and safely.

The minimum level of physical intervention necessary to prevent harm or stop an offence, judged against what a reasonable person would consider proportionate in the circumstances.

A written or verbal warning that a person may not enter or remain on a property; breaching it allows police to act, and guards may request it be issued.

The legislation that defines when a person is trespassing and allows occupiers or their authorised agents to warn people off private property.

The law governing how personal information, including CCTV footage and visitor records, is collected, stored, used, and disclosed by security staff.

The primary workplace safety law requiring employers and workers to identify hazards and manage risks; guards share responsibility for their own and others' safety.

The limits on a guard's relationship with clients, visitors, and colleagues that prevent favouritism, exploitation, or inappropriate personal involvement while on duty.

A situation where a guard's personal interests, relationships, or outside work could improperly influence their decisions or impartiality on the job.

The legal and ethical obligation to take reasonable steps to protect the safety and wellbeing of people affected by a guard's work, including visitors and colleagues.

A failure to exercise the level of care a reasonable guard would use, causing foreseeable harm; it can lead to civil liability or disciplinary action.

Techniques such as calm speech, active listening, and creating space that reduce the intensity of a confrontation without physical force.

Fully concentrating on what a person is saying, reflecting it back, and asking clarifying questions so they feel heard and the situation calms.

Recognising and acknowledging another person's feelings without necessarily agreeing with them; it helps build rapport and reduce tension during conflict.

Stating needs, limits, and instructions clearly and respectfully without aggression or passivity, so the message is understood and respected.

A graduated framework of responses from presence and verbal direction through to physical restraint, matched to the level of threat faced.

The deliberate, systematic watching of people, premises, and events to spot anomalies, threats, or safety issues before they escalate.

A guard's ongoing understanding of what is happening around them, including people, exits, hazards, and changes from the normal pattern.

The normal, expected state of a site or group of people against which a guard compares current observations to detect something unusual.

A factual written record of an event, including time, location, people involved, actions taken, and witnesses, written objectively without opinion.

Notes made at or near the time of an event, recording facts accurately because memory fades and precise timing matters in later investigations.

The documented, unbroken record of who handled an item or recording and when, so it remains credible for disciplinary or court proceedings.

The chronological log showing every person who has had possession of physical evidence or footage, protecting it from tampering or challenge.

The procedures and systems that decide who may enter a site or area, such as passes, sign-in registers, key control, and electronic card readers.

The process of identifying, recording, badging, and directing visitors so only authorised people are on site and their movements are known.

A planned or random circuit of a site on foot or by vehicle to check security, detect hazards, and provide visible deterrence.

A record of patrol routes, times, checkpoints visited, and observations made, used to prove coverage and support later reporting.

The effect of visible security presence, lighting, signage, and patrols in discouraging potential offenders from attempting an offence.

Watching live or recorded camera feeds to detect incidents, verify alarms, and gather evidence, subject to privacy and storage rules.

The orderly movement of people out of a building to a safe assembly area using designated routes, wardens, and clear instructions.

A pre-arranged safe location where evacuees gather so they can be counted and accounted for after leaving a building.

A trained person responsible for directing occupants, checking areas, and reporting to the chief warden during an evacuation or drill.

A guard working alone without direct supervision or close backup, requiring extra planning, check-in procedures, and communication equipment.

A wearable or fixed device that silently summons help when a guard is threatened, injured, or unable to call for assistance normally.

Any condition or activity with the potential to cause harm, such as wet floors, poor lighting, aggressive people, or faulty equipment.

The process of identifying hazards, judging how likely and severe the harm could be, and deciding controls to reduce the risk.

Gear such as high-visibility clothing, gloves, footwear, or body armour worn to reduce the chance or severity of injury on duty.