NAVTTC Security Guard NVQ key terms

The legal and moral obligation of a security guard to take reasonable steps to protect the safety and well-being of people and property within the area they are assigned to watch.

The minimum level of physical intervention that a guard may lawfully use, proportionate to the threat faced, to prevent harm, detain a suspect, or defend themselves or others.

The limited power of a private person, including a guard, to detain someone who is caught committing a serious offence or is reasonably suspected of one, and to hand them to police promptly.

Entering or remaining on private property without permission or lawful authority. Guards may ask a trespasser to leave and record the refusal, but must not use excessive force.

The duty not to disclose information learned during work, such as visitor details, incident facts, or security arrangements, to anyone who does not have a legitimate need to know.

Failure to exercise the level of care a reasonable guard would show in the same situation, causing foreseeable harm or loss. It can lead to disciplinary action and civil liability.

The written set of expected behaviours for guards, covering honesty, appearance, punctuality, respect for the public, sobriety, and refusal of bribes or gifts that could influence decisions.

The principles that guide a guard's decisions, including integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect for human dignity, and serving the public interest rather than personal gain.

A situation where a guard's personal interests, relationships, or outside business could improperly influence their security decisions, which must be declared to a supervisor.

The limits of what a guard is permitted to do, set by law, the client contract, and post orders. Acting beyond these limits can be unlawful and can expose the guard to liability.

Written instructions for a specific guard post describing duties, patrol routes, access rules, emergency procedures, and reporting requirements. Guards must read and follow them.

A structured review that identifies hazards and threats at a site, estimates how likely and how serious they are, and records the controls put in place to reduce them.

Any condition, object, or activity with the potential to cause injury, illness, or damage, such as a wet floor, exposed wiring, poor lighting, or a blocked fire exit.

Gear worn to reduce injury risk, such as safety shoes, gloves, high-visibility vest, helmet, or torch. It must be suitable, well maintained, and used as instructed.

The documented procedure for moving people safely out of a building during fire, bomb threat, or other emergency, including routes, assembly points, wardens, and roll-call arrangements.

A pre-designated safe outdoor location where evacuated people gather so they can be counted and accounted for after leaving a building during an emergency.

A trained person responsible for checking that an area is cleared during evacuation, guiding people to exits, and reporting to the incident controller that their zone is clear.

The systems and procedures that decide who may enter or leave a site, area, or building, and under what conditions, using identity checks, passes, locks, or electronic readers.

A written or electronic register recording each visitor's name, organisation, purpose, time in and out, and the person they are visiting. It supports accountability and later investigation.

An unauthorised person following an authorised person through a controlled door or gate without presenting their own credentials. Guards should challenge it politely and record the event.

The rule that visitors or contractors must remain with an authorised employee or guard while on site, usually required in restricted areas such as server rooms or cash-handling zones.

Any zone where entry is limited to people with specific authorisation, such as control rooms, stores, or cash offices. Entry is controlled by locks, badges, or a guard.

The polite, scripted way a guard approaches an unidentified or unbadged person, asks their purpose, verifies identity, and either escorts or removes them according to post orders.

A planned path through a site with defined checkpoints, designed to cover high-risk areas and blind spots in a set order and within a set time.

A specific location on a patrol route that the guard must visit and confirm, often by touching a key, scanning a tag, or recording the time, to prove the route was completed.

A physical tag, button, or reader used to record the time a guard reaches a patrol checkpoint, producing evidence that the round was carried out as scheduled.

Watching live or recorded camera feeds to detect suspicious activity, verify alarms, and preserve footage that may later support an incident report or police investigation.

A factual written record of an event, covering who, what, when, where, how, and what action was taken, written in neutral language without opinion or blame.

The bound log kept at a post where guards record events, handovers, and messages during a shift in chronological order, forming a continuous record of site activity.

The briefing at the end of a shift in which the outgoing guard informs the incoming guard of open issues, keys, equipment state, and any incidents still being followed up.

The documented, unbroken record of who handled an item of evidence, when, and where, from collection to handover to police, proving it was not tampered with.

The agreed rules for speaking on a two-way radio, including call signs, clear short messages, phonetic alphabet, and the priority phrase used to interrupt for emergencies.

The principle that information is shared only with people who require it to do their job or to respond to an emergency, limiting the risk of leaks or misuse.

Techniques such as calm speech, distance, open body language, and active listening used to reduce tension and resolve a confrontation without physical force.

The courteous, helpful manner a guard uses with visitors, staff, and the public, including greeting, giving directions, and explaining rules politely while still enforcing them.

The procedure a guard follows when an alarm activates: verifying the zone, approaching safely, checking the cause, and reporting the outcome to the control room or supervisor.

The system of issuing, signing out, storing, and recovering keys so that every key is accounted for and unauthorised copies cannot be made or used.

The outer layer of protection for a site, such as fences, gates, walls, lighting, and barriers, intended to delay or deter unauthorised entry.

Ongoing training and learning that keeps a guard's skills and legal knowledge current, such as first aid refreshers, fire drills, and new technology training.