The Government set up the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to regulate the security industry, which mandated that all security officers working in the industry must have a licence in order to work. Accreditation of individual guards went a long way to improving the reputation of the industry. But in my opinion, more needs to be done.
One of the biggest issues since individual regulation was introduced has been the use of self-employed security guards. It became all too common to see unregistered security agencies hiring officers on a self-employment basis because they meet the legal requirement to have a licence.
The bottom line is that when it comes to security, using an unaccredited company that uses self employed guards is where the biggest risk lies. Anyone employing a security officer from a company which does not have the proper insurance is taking a massive legal and financial risk.
And that’s why the industry needs further regulation. As a leader in the security industry, Magenta Security Services welcomed the announcement that all regulated security businesses will need to hold an SIA business licence. We have been saying this regulation has needed to be put in place for a long time now, not just for the benefit of professionals and the industry but ultimately for the safety of our clients.
If the new regulation works as it should it will give greater credibility to genuine security companies and encourage the industry to constantly deliver high level services that benefit both clients and security guards, and ultimately improve the reputation of the industry as a whole.
Stay safe
Abbey Petkar
