NAVTTC Security Guard NVQ cheat sheet

Private security operates under a contract with a client or as in-house staff; authority comes from the client's property rights, not from police powers.

A security guard may use reasonable force only in lawful defence of self or others, to prevent crime, or to effect a lawful arrest - never as punishment.

Duty of care: guards owe a duty to persons on site to act reasonably; failure can create civil liability for negligence.

Chain of command: guard → supervisor → site manager → client representative; escalate incidents outside your authority upward, not sideways.

Confidentiality: client information, incident details and personal data are disclosed only on a need-to-know basis or lawful request.

Conflict of interest: a guard must not accept gifts, side work or favours from persons they are posted to monitor.

Post orders define the specific duties, hours, patrol routes and reporting lines for a given site; they override general habit.

Negligence requires four elements: a duty of care, a breach of that duty, causation, and actual damage or loss.

Arrest by a private person is lawful only where an offence is being or has just been committed and the person is reasonably suspected; hand over to police promptly.

Citizen's arrest does not permit searching a person's body without consent; a search is limited to seizing visible evidence or items surrendered voluntarily.

Search of a person requires lawful authority or consent; searches must be conducted by a person of the same sex where possible and with a witness present.

Use-of-force continuum: presence → verbal direction → soft physical control → hard physical control; each step must be justified by the subject's behaviour.

Detention for questioning is not a police power of private guards; a person may be asked to stay but cannot be locked in without lawful grounds.

Recording in private areas (toilets, changing rooms) is unlawful; CCTV must be notified by signage and footage retained only as long as necessary.

Bribery and corruption: accepting money or gifts to overlook a breach is a criminal offence and grounds for immediate dismissal.

Use of force must be necessary, proportionate and no more than the minimum required; force ends when the resistance ends.

Fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, heat; extinguishing removes one leg. Water is unsuitable for electrical and cooking-oil fires (Class F).

PASS for extinguisher use: Pull the pin, Aim at the base, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side.

Evacuation assembly point must be a safe distance from the building, upwind of smoke, and known to all occupants.

PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) is required for occupants who cannot self-evacuate, such as wheelchair users.

First aid priorities: danger, response, airway, breathing, circulation (DRABC); call emergency services before moving a casualty unless there is immediate danger.

RIDDOR-type reporting: deaths, specified injuries and dangerous occurrences must be reported to the enforcing authority without delay.

Hazard reporting: any defect, spill, damaged light or blocked exit is logged and reported to the supervisor at once, not left for the next shift.

Lone working: guards working alone must maintain regular check-in calls and carry a means of communication at all times.

Three-step visitor process: identify (photo ID), verify (against an authorised list or host), issue a badge with visible expiry.

Tailgating prevention: one person per badge swipe, door closes before the next entry, and a guard challenges anyone entering without a badge.

Visitor log fields: name, organisation, host, purpose, time in, time out, badge number and vehicle registration.

Contractor access requires a permit-to-work for hot work, confined spaces or electrical work; the permit is checked before entry.

Lost or unreturned badges are cancelled in the system immediately and the holder's access rights are suspended.

Deliveries are checked against the manifest and directed to a goods-in area; drivers are not admitted beyond the reception zone.

Emergency access: doors must fail-safe or fail-secure according to the fire strategy; fire exits never remain locked against egress.

Access levels are granted on least-privilege: only the areas the role needs, reviewed when the person changes role or leaves.

Randomised patrol intervals reduce predictability; fixed times allow intruders to plan around the guard's presence.

Clock-in points (checkpoints, QR or NFC tags) provide evidence the patrol was actually walked.

Patrol observation: look for forced doors, broken glass, unusual smells, water leaks, unattended bags and lights out of pattern.

Never confront an intruder alone if the situation appears violent; observe, withdraw to safety, and call police and supervisor.

CCTV monitoring requires a documented retention period and access control over footage; copies are released only to authorised persons.

Surveillance must be proportionate and targeted; monitoring individuals without lawful basis risks a data-protection breach.

Observation notes record time, location, description, action taken and witnesses while the detail is fresh - not from memory later.

Perimeter checks verify fences, gates, lighting and locks; a gap in the perimeter is logged and repaired, not just noted.

Radio protocol: think before transmitting, keep messages short, use plain language, and confirm receipt with 'received' or 'copy'.

Phonetic alphabet for unclear letters: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet.

Emergency call content: who you are, where you are, what has happened, how many casualties, what help is needed.

De-escalation: lower the voice, slow the speech, keep distance, avoid pointing, and offer choices rather than ultimatums.

Active listening: paraphrase and confirm the other person's meaning before responding; do not interrupt or argue in front of others.

Customer service boundary: courtesy and helpfulness do not override security rules; refusal is delivered politely with the reason and the alternative.

Handover briefing (SBAR): situation, background, assessment, recommendation - passed verbally and in writing at shift change.

Written communication: factual, neutral, free of opinion and slang, and signed with name, rank and time.

Report structure: date, time, location, persons involved, what happened, action taken, witnesses, signature.

Write in the first person, past tense and factual style; distinguish what you saw from what you were told.

Do not alter or destroy a notebook entry; corrections are made by striking through, initialling and dating, never by erasing.

Incident reports may be disclosed in legal proceedings; avoid speculation, blame or unverified conclusions.

Preserve evidence: do not move items, keep CCTV footage copied and secured, and record the chain of custody.

Report deadlines: serious incidents are reported to the supervisor immediately by phone, then in writing within the shift.

Data protection: personal data in reports is stored securely, accessed only by authorised staff, and retained per policy.

Near-miss reporting is mandatory: an event that could have caused harm is recorded even when no injury occurred.

CCTV camera types: dome (discreet, indoor), bullet (long-range, outdoor), PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom, wide coverage), and ANPR for vehicle plates.

Access control readers: proximity card, PIN keypad, biometric; two-factor combines a card with a PIN or biometric.

Fail-safe locks release on power loss (used on fire exits); fail-secure locks stay locked on power loss (used on secure stores).

Intruder alarm zones: perimeter, detection, and hold-up; each zone reports separately to the alarm receiving centre.

Fire detection: smoke, heat and multi-sensor detectors; manual call points are placed on escape routes at accessible heights.

Equipment checks: daily function test of radios and torches, weekly alarm test, and immediate reporting of faults in the log.

Key control: keys are signed in and out, master keys are held by named individuals, and lost keys trigger a lock change.

Tamper detection: alarm panels, cameras and readers report tampering; a tamper alert is treated as a possible intrusion.

Uniform and appearance standards: clean, complete, visible ID, no unauthorized items; the uniform signals authority and accountability.

Punctuality and relief: arrive before the shift start for handover; abandoning a post without relief leaves the site unprotected.

Prohibited conduct on duty: sleeping, alcohol or drugs, personal phone use that distracts from watching, and leaving the post unattended.

Harassment and discrimination: unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic is a disciplinary matter and may be unlawful.

Whistleblowing: concerns about unlawful or unsafe practice are raised through the designated channel, and retaliation is prohibited.

Continuing professional development: refresher training in first aid, fire safety, conflict management and legal updates keeps competence current.

Record keeping for competence: training certificates and licences are kept valid and produced on request.

Team conduct: report a colleague's unsafe act to the supervisor rather than covering it up; silence creates shared liability.