On March 19th 2020, the British Security Industry Authority called on the government to clarify the status of security officers with the chance of a lockdown and school closures looming.
As a members organisation, the BSIA seeks to clarify whether the scope of their member’s business will be covered by the critical worker classification. This includes manned guarding, key holding, cash in transit, alarm monitoring, CCTV operators and installers as well as ancillary services.
The BSIA believes that the roles listed are essential for the day to day running of British business and public life. It is with this in mind that they posit that security professionals should be declared to be critical workers. The BSIA went on the declare that the following issues should be clarified by the government:
- Are frontline security staff critical workers exempt from their children being sent home?
- Will manned guarding, cash in transit, security system and CCTV companies be classed as critical services under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and be exempt from restrictions on transport, traveling, office working etc?
“Our members provide security services critical to the UK infrastructure on a day to day basis, and in the current climate, these services become even more essential. It is vital that these organisations continue to have access to their critical teams and infrastructure to support the wider variety of clients, including the Police, schools, banks, supermarkets, pharmacies, and critical supply chains. We are therefore calling on the Government to urgently clarify the status of our industry members as critical services and the status of their employees as critical workers.” said BSIA Chief Executive, Mike Reddington