It is no secret that the evenings in Britain can get a little rowdy once the lights go out and the drinks go down with violence being common place in drinking hot-spots around the country. The night-time economy has long been accused of being unsafe and in order to combat this, the Security Industry has launched it’s national #SaferNightsOut campaign to help protect both security staff and members of the public.
Launching today, June 17th 2019, this initiative will see SIA investigators travelling to pubs, bars and clubs across the city to meet with local door staff with promote restraint techniques while encouraging them to report violence or abuse directed at them. The SIA will also be sharing images and info-graphics on social media through June and July under #SaferNightsOut.
“Since 2016 we’ve recorded ten deaths associated with restraint techniques used by security personnel. This campaign aims to reduce these risks by ensuring that security staff know, and use, the safer restraint techniques mandated in their training.” Notes Ed Bateman, Director of Partnerships and Interventions at the SIA.
He continues, observing that at “the same time, we’re aware that security personnel are increasingly facing verbal and physical abuse in the workplace. It’s not ‘all in a day’s work’ for a door supervisor to return home to their family facially scarred, or otherwise injured. We want door supervisors to report verbal or physical abuse to the police or to their employers or to us via our website.”
The Campaign will pick off with an initial leaflet drop where every SIA license holder will be sent a copy of the SIA’s ‘Safer Physical Intervention’ leaflet. This will be followed up by visits from SIA investigator to venues in 22 locations around the UK. They aim to share information on safer restraint while at the same time taking on board the concerns of door staff and encouraging them to report violence or abuse that is directed at them
This campaign is being led by Kevin Young, of the SIA’s South East Region Partnerships and Interventions team, who says:
“We’re looking forward to meeting door staff and having these important conversations. We’re asking venues and security staff to look out for our #SaferNightsOut messages on social media – and for them to share and engage with our posts while the campaign is running, which is from Monday 17 June to Monday 15 July.”