Security staff onboarding checklist

Guide summary

Do not deploy a new security employee until you have completed all checks. Check their SIA licence is active on the online register. Do a right to work check and an enhanced DBS check before they start. You could face a £60,000 penalty if you employ someone without the right to work.

Check SIA licence on the online register before deployment
Do an enhanced DBS check for every new hire
Check right to work before the employee starts
Keep copies of right to work checks for employment plus 2 years
Give a site induction covering emergency procedures
Brief lone workers on risks and check-in procedures
Issue and test communication equipment before first shift
Provide conflict management training if needed
Repeat right to work checks for time-limited permissions
Civil penalty up to £60,000 per illegal worker

Complete every item on this checklist before deploying a new security employee on any licensable activity. Do not deploy until all critical items are confirmed.

Licensing and identity

SIA licence verified as active on the SIA Register of Licence Holders
Licence sector matches the role (e.g. door supervision, security guarding, close protection)
Licence card is original, not a copy, and photograph matches the individual
Licence expiry date recorded and renewal reminder set

Pre-employment checks

Enhanced DBS check completed or application submitted and status verified
Barred list check completed where the role involves regulated activity
Right to work check completed and documented before the first day of work
Employment contract issued, including details of any opt-out from the 48-hour working week

DBS check requirements for SIA licences

Enhanced DBS check requirements for SIA licence applications, including barred list checks, criminal record filtering rules, and SIA decision-making criteria under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order.

Every SIA licence application (first-time and renewal) requires an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check with a check of both the children's and adults' barred lists. The SIA is a registered body under the Police Act 1997 and processes DBS checks directly as part of the licence application.

What the enhanced DBS check reveals

Spent and unspent convictions
Cautions, reprimands, and final warnings
Any information held by local police considered relevant (police intelligence)
Whether the applicant is on the children's or adults' barred lists

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order

SIA-licensed roles are listed as exceptions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. This means applicants must declare all convictions, including those that would normally be considered spent. The SIA may refuse or revoke a licence based on criminal record information.

SIA decision-making criteria

The SIA assesses criminal record information on a case-by-case basis. A criminal record does not automatically prevent someone from obtaining a licence. The SIA considers the nature and seriousness of the offence, how long ago it occurred, the relevance to the licensed activity, and any pattern of offending. Certain serious offences (such as those involving violence, sexual offences, or firearms) carry stronger presumption against granting a licence.

Type of DBS check: Enhanced DBS with barred list check (children's and adults' lists)
DBS check cost: Included in the SIA licence fee (no separate charge)
DBS check applies to: All first applications and all renewals
Criminal record disclosure: Full disclosure required — ROA 1974 (Exceptions) Order applies
Scotland equivalent: Disclosure Scotland PVG scheme check (equivalent process)
Northern Ireland equivalent: AccessNI enhanced check (equivalent process)

Right to work checks for security staff

Dual right to work verification for private security employees. SIA requires proof of right to work as a licensing prerequisite, and employers must conduct separate checks under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Both checks are independent obligations with distinct legal consequences.

SIA licensing RTW check: SIA verifies right to work in the UK as a prerequisite for granting or renewing an SIA licence; applicants without valid RTW status are refused
Employer RTW check: Employers must conduct a separate right to work check under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 before the employee starts work
Independence of checks: The SIA licence check and the employer check are legally independent; holding a valid SIA licence does not discharge the employer's duty to verify RTW
Employer statutory excuse: Conducting a compliant RTW check (manual or online) provides the employer a statutory excuse against a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker
SIA licence duration: 3 years from date of issue
RTW re-check timing: For employees with time-limited right to work, employer must conduct a follow-up check before the permission expires
Online RTW service: Employers can use the Home Office online right to work checking service where the individual has an eVisa or share code
Record retention: Employer must retain a copy of the RTW check (document copies or online check confirmation) for the duration of employment plus 2 years

Private security employers face a dual verification obligation. The SIA independently checks right to work when processing licence applications. However, this does not remove the employer's own obligation under immigration law. Failure to conduct employer RTW checks can result in civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker and, in cases of knowingly employing an illegal worker, criminal prosecution with an unlimited fine and up to 5 years' imprisonment.

Site induction and training

Site-specific induction completed covering layout, access points, alarm systems, and reporting procedures
Emergency procedures briefing delivered (fire evacuation, first aid, incident escalation)
Lone working briefing completed (if the role involves working alone)
Communication equipment issued and tested (radio, mobile phone, lone worker device)
Conflict management refresher delivered or confirmed current
Body-worn camera training delivered (if applicable to the site)

Lone working requirements for security staff

Lone working risk assessment obligations for security employers under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, including communication systems, welfare checks, violence risk, and personal safety measures specific to security guarding.

Legal duty: Employer must assess risks to lone workers under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3 and implement controls under HASAWA 1974 Section 2
Lone worker definition: Anyone working without close or direct supervision, including security officers on solo patrols, night shifts, or static guarding at remote sites
Risk assessment scope: Must consider violence and aggression, medical emergencies, environmental hazards, fatigue, confined spaces access, and site-specific risks
Communication systems: Employer must provide reliable means of communication such as two-way radio, mobile phone, lone worker alarm device, or GPS-enabled personal safety app
Welfare check-in procedures: Regular scheduled check-ins at agreed intervals; if a check-in is missed, escalation procedure must activate immediately
Panic alarm / personal safety device: Lone security workers in high-risk environments should be provided with a personal alarm or man-down device with automatic alert capability
Violence risk assessment: Specific assessment required for roles involving confrontation, public interaction, cash handling, or working in areas with known crime risk
Site familiarity: Lone workers must be briefed on site hazards, emergency exits, first aid locations, and contact details for emergency services before commencing work
Fitness for lone working: Employer must consider whether the individual is medically and psychologically suitable to work alone, particularly for extended shifts
Recording requirement: Risk assessment findings must be recorded if the employer has 5 or more employees
Review trigger: Reassess lone working arrangements after any incident, near miss, change in site conditions, or change in personnel

There is no specific lone working legislation. Obligations derive from the general duty under HASAWA 1974 Section 2 and the risk assessment requirement in MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3. Security guarding frequently involves lone working in environments with elevated risk of violence, trespass, and medical emergency. Employers must ensure that control measures are proportionate to the assessed risk and that lone workers are never placed in situations that cannot be safely managed by one person.

Violence at work requirements for security roles

Violence at work risk assessment and management obligations for security employers, including HSE guidance, conflict management training, RIDDOR reporting for violent incidents, body-worn cameras, and physical intervention policies.

HSE definition of work-related violence: Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work
Risk assessment obligation: Employer must assess the risk of violence to security staff under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3 and implement control measures under HASAWA 1974 Section 2
Conflict management training: Security staff must receive training in conflict avoidance, de-escalation techniques, and disengagement; SIA requires conflict management as part of the licence-linked training programme
Physical intervention policy: Employers must have a clear written policy on the use of reasonable force; physical intervention is a last resort and must be proportionate, necessary, and lawful
Body-worn cameras: Where used, employers must comply with the ICO's Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment, display signage, and manage footage retention
Incident reporting (internal): Employer must maintain a system for recording all incidents of violence, threats, and verbal abuse, including near misses
RIDDOR reporting: Physical violence resulting in specified injuries (fractures, loss of consciousness, hospitalisation for over 24 hours) or incapacitation for more than 7 consecutive days must be reported to HSE under RIDDOR 2013
RIDDOR reporting deadline: Specified injuries must be reported without delay; over-7-day incapacitation must be reported within 15 days of the incident
Post-incident support: Employer should provide access to counselling, debriefing, and welfare support following violent incidents
Safe systems of work: Control measures may include staffing levels, site lighting, CCTV, restricted access, communication devices, and emergency response procedures
Enforcement: HSE and local authorities enforce workplace violence risk management; failure to assess and control violence risk can result in improvement or prohibition notices and criminal prosecution

Security workers face a significantly elevated risk of violence compared to most occupations. HSE guidance emphasises that employers cannot simply accept violence as part of the job. The duty to assess and control the risk of violence applies regardless of the sector in which the security operative is deployed. Where security staff are provided to a client site, both the employer and the client have duties under HASAWA 1974 to cooperate on risk control measures.

Documentation

Copy of SIA licence card on file
DBS certificate reference number recorded
Right to work check record filed
Site induction sign-off form completed and signed
Training record created with all qualification dates and expiry dates

Legal basis

Primary legislation and key regulations

Private Security Industry Act 2001 Primary 2001 · UK-wide Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Primary 1974 · UK-wide Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 Primary 2006 · UK-wide Police Act 1997 Primary 1997 · UK-wide Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1471) SI 2013 · UK-wide Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 SI 1999 · UK-wide Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 SI 1975 · UK-wide

Browse UK legislation legislation.gov.uk

Official guidance

SIA Register of Licence Holders (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UK

GOV.UK: DBS checks — guidance for employers (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UK

GOV.UK: Right to work checks (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UK

HSE: Lone working (opens in a new tab)

HSE

Private Security Industry Act 2001 (legislation.gov.uk) (opens in a new tab)

legislation

Apply for an sia licence (opens in a new tab)

SIA

Security staff onboarding checklist

Licensing and identity

Pre-employment checks

Site induction and training

Documentation

Legal basis

Official guidance

Related guides in Risk Assessment

SIA employer compliance checklist

Manage security staff working time

Apply for an SIA licence

Set up security staff training

Security and investigation compliance checklist