PSIRA Grade C cheat sheet

PSIRA is established under the Private Security Industry Regulation Act 56 of 2001 and regulates security service providers.

A security officer must be registered with PSIRA and carry a valid identification card while on duty; registration is individual and not transferable.

Grade C officers may not perform duties reserved for higher grades, such as supervising a site or compiling certain operational reports.

Use of force is lawful only when necessary and proportional; deadly force is justified only in defence of life or to prevent a serious violent crime.

A private security officer has no greater powers of arrest than an ordinary citizen; arrest without a warrant requires a Schedule 1 offence in the presence of the officer.

Detention of a suspect must be brief and the person must be handed to the South African Police Service as soon as reasonably possible.

Search of a person's body or property requires consent, a warrant, or a specific statutory power; refusal must be recorded and reported.

Confidential information about clients, premises and incidents may not be disclosed except to authorised persons or by law.

Discrimination, harassment, bribery and accepting gifts that could influence duty are prohibited and constitute misconduct reportable to PSIRA.

Access control verifies three elements in order: identity of the person, authorisation to enter, and purpose or destination.

A valid access card is verified against the holder's identity; possession of a card alone does not establish authorisation.

Visitors are recorded with full name, identification number, company, host, time in, time out and vehicle registration where applicable.

Tailgating and piggybacking are countered by one-person-at-a-time entry, door closure checks and challenge of unbadged persons.

Removal of company property requires a completed authorised removal permit matching description, quantity and serial numbers.

Keys and access cards are controlled through a register showing issue, return, holder identity, date and time.

A post handover must record relief time, incidents, equipment status, keys held and outstanding instructions, signed by both officers.

Perimeter integrity checks cover fences, gates, lighting, locks and alarms; any defect is logged and reported immediately.

Emergency doors and fire equipment must remain unobstructed and unlocked from the inside during occupancy.

Patrols may be foot, vehicle or bicycle; the method chosen depends on area size, terrain, risk profile and available resources.

A patrol route should vary in timing and sequence to prevent predictability, while still covering all risk points each shift.

Clock-in points or checkpoints prove patrol coverage and must be recorded honestly; falsifying a patrol record is misconduct.

Observation uses all senses; description of a person should follow a fixed order such as sex, age, height, build, hair, clothing and distinguishing marks.

A description of a vehicle records make, model, colour, registration number, direction of travel and occupant count.

Notes must be made at the time or as soon as possible, in ink, without erasure, and retained as potential evidence.

A statement is written in the first person, in chronological order, covering who, what, where, when, how and what action was taken.

Reports are factual and free of opinion, speculation or emotional language; uncertainty is stated as uncertainty.

Notebook entries and occurrence book entries must be consecutive, dated, timed and signed, with corrections struck through and initialled.

The emergency response sequence is: assess the situation, secure and isolate the area, raise the alarm, preserve life, then preserve evidence.

Life-threatening injury takes priority over property protection; first aid and emergency medical call-out precede scene control.

The fire response order is: raise the alarm, evacuate, call the fire service, then attempt containment only if trained and safe.

Evacuation routes and assembly points must be known before an emergency; headcounts at the assembly point are reported to the responsible person.

A crime scene is preserved by restricting entry, not touching objects, recording the scene as found and noting all persons who entered.

An incident report is compiled as soon as possible after the event and covers time, place, persons, actions, witnesses and outcome.

Bomb threat calls are kept on the line, details written down verbatim, and the information passed to police and management without delay.

Suspicious packages are not touched or moved; the area is cordoned, wireless devices are avoided nearby, and police are notified.

Radio communication uses clear speech, standard phonetics, and the sequence: call sign of receiver, own call sign, message, over.

The phonetic alphabet replaces letters with words, for example Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, to prevent mishearing.

Urgent traffic is preceded by a priority signal and routine messages wait; the channel is kept free of unnecessary talk.

Messages are repeated back, or read back, when they contain numbers, addresses or instructions to confirm accuracy.

Professional conduct requires identification of oneself, a calm tone, respectful address and avoidance of argument with the public.

Customer complaints are received without defensiveness, recorded, acknowledged and escalated to the correct authority within the shift.

Confidentiality applies to all information learned on duty, including in casual conversation with family and on social media.

Appearance standards, correct uniform, visible identification and personal hygiene form part of the professional image of the officer and employer.

Refusal or inability to assist a member of the public is explained politely and the person is directed to the correct service.

Radio communication uses clear speech, standard phonetics, and the sequence: call sign of receiver, own call sign, message, over.

The phonetic alphabet replaces letters with words, for example Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, to prevent mishearing.

Urgent traffic is preceded by a priority signal and routine messages wait; the channel is kept free of unnecessary talk.

Messages are repeated back, or read back, when they contain numbers, addresses or instructions to confirm accuracy.

Professional conduct requires identification of oneself, a calm tone, respectful address and avoidance of argument with the public.

Customer complaints are received without defensiveness, recorded, acknowledged and escalated to the correct authority within the shift.

Confidentiality applies to all information learned on duty, including in casual conversation with family and on social media.

Appearance standards, correct uniform, visible identification and personal hygiene form part of the professional image of the officer and employer.

Refusal or inability to assist a member of the public is explained politely and the person is directed to the correct service.