The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for 2022 show that there were an estimated 739,000 incidents of violence at the workplace, with 356,000 of which were classed as physical assaults, just under the number of threats (383,000). Does this mean security guarding is needed more than ever in the UK?
Unfortunately, violent crime continues to increase across the U.K as police numbers diminish, with the need for protection and security guarding of premises in the limelight more than ever before. As a result of this, private guards have been hired to fill the security vacuum, along with CCTV operators, cash transit specialists and close protection officers.
Pre-pandemic back in 2018, there were 143,894 applications for individual licences to operate in the security industry compared to 110,437 the previous year. The rise is in line with the obvious increase of an already substantial industry. As of today, there are currently 386,657 licence holders, with 64,226 in the role of a security guard. The change in roles has resulted in a substantial growth in the security sector in the UK, but the government still believes more is needed in 2023.
In fact, gov.uk statistics state that the number of employees is falling, with survey findings indicating the reasons as to why security officers are finding the line of work difficult and stressful. These include:
- security guards normally work 12-hour shifts
- some security guards view the work as a ‘stop-gap’ – a convenient source of income while they look for other work or pursue other career options
- the responsibility of health and safety crowd management
- customer service tasks such as handling complaints, providing advice and other basic customer service functions
- other site-based functions, such as alarm system monitoring, vehicle weighing, covering pools and other roles that used to be performed by staff located at the site
They also state: ‘Over the past 2 years demand for security guarding has fluctuated due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic downturn.
‘Some security guarding companies we spoke to indicated that their customers have returned to approximately 70% of pre-pandemic levels and that generally, business is slowly increasing.
‘Some companies we spoke to have seen several clients demand a decrease in manned security guarding due to the automation of security services.’
However, industry revenue is expected to increase at a compound annual rate of 3.5% over the next five years through 2022-2027 to reach £8.6 billion, showing the importance of this business sector for UK businesses and the government. Growth has been supported by a rise in the UK crime rate, growing national security threats, the dangers of cyber threats and increased outsourcing of public sector security services to private sector contractors.
The Police Authorities in the country find themselves stretched and under greater financial strain, meaning it has become more important than ever to be both secure and to be seen when it comes to business. Here at Glevum Security, we have many services that operate 24/7, allowing you to have a uniformed, guarding presence, rather than a static officer or just relying on the use of security cameras and alarm systems.
Wherever you are based in Gloucestershire, it could be Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bishops Cleeve, Quedgeley…etc, we will be on hand to assist you with your security needs. Having a uniformed, patrolling officer at your business premises is statistically proven to reduce crime rates at your property by 97%, highlighting the effectiveness of this service.
The average burglary only takes between 8-12 minutes, so make sure you and your business are kept safe using Glevum Security. For more information, you can reach out to us via our contact form here for a free quote.