SIA Venue Safety Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During winter, ice has formed on the pavement outside a venue. What is the door supervisor's responsibility?
- No responsibility as the pavement is public property maintained by the local council
- Ensure the hazard is reported to management, apply salt or grit if available, warn patrons, and consider adjusting the queue layout (Correct answer)
- Close the venue until the council has gritted the pavement outside
- Place a single 'wet floor' sign on the pavement and continue normal operations
Correct answer: Ensure the hazard is reported to management, apply salt or grit if available, warn patrons, and consider adjusting the queue layout
The venue has a duty of care to patrons in the immediate vicinity, including the queue area. Door supervisors should report the hazard to management, apply salt or grit if available, verbally warn patrons about the icy conditions, and consider adjusting the queue to avoid the worst areas. Under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957, venues can be liable for injuries to visitors even on adjacent public areas they effectively control.
Question 2: What is the purpose of maintaining an incident log at a licensed venue?
- To provide entertainment for quiet shifts by reading previous entries
- To create a contemporaneous record of incidents for evidential, legal, and licensing purposes (Correct answer)
- To satisfy the requirements of the Security Industry Authority's annual inspection
- To calculate staff bonuses based on the number of incidents they have dealt with
Correct answer: To create a contemporaneous record of incidents for evidential, legal, and licensing purposes
The incident log serves as a contemporaneous (written at the time) record of all significant events. It is used as evidence in court proceedings, police investigations, licensing reviews, and insurance claims. Entries should include date, time, location, persons involved, what happened, what action was taken, and who dealt with it. It may be the single most important document in defending the venue's licence.
Question 3: A fire alarm activates in the venue. What is the door supervisor's PRIMARY role during an evacuation?
- Investigate the source of the alarm to determine if it is genuine before taking action
- Guide patrons to the nearest emergency exits, prevent re-entry, and assist emergency services on arrival (Correct answer)
- Immediately lock all doors to prevent theft of venue property during the evacuation
- Continue monitoring the main entrance and refuse entry to anyone trying to come in
Correct answer: Guide patrons to the nearest emergency exits, prevent re-entry, and assist emergency services on arrival
During a fire alarm, the door supervisor's primary role is to assist with evacuation: direct patrons to emergency exits using the venue's evacuation plan, help those with mobility difficulties, prevent anyone from re-entering the building, and assist the fire service on arrival by providing information about the venue layout and any persons unaccounted for. Investigating the alarm is the fire warden's or management's role.
Question 4: When working with police officers at a venue, what should a door supervisor understand about the difference in their respective powers?
- There is no difference — SIA-licensed door supervisors have the same powers as police constables
- Police have statutory powers of arrest, search, and detention, while door supervisors rely on consent, common law, and citizen's arrest provisions (Correct answer)
- Door supervisors have greater powers inside the venue as it is private property
- Police officers cannot enter a licensed venue without a warrant
Correct answer: Police have statutory powers of arrest, search, and detention, while door supervisors rely on consent, common law, and citizen's arrest provisions
Police officers have statutory powers under PACE, the Misuse of Drugs Act, and other legislation that allow them to stop, search, arrest, and detain people. Door supervisors have no such statutory powers — they operate on the basis of consent (for searches), common law (self-defence, defence of others), and citizen's arrest (Section 24A of PACE, for indictable offences only). Understanding this distinction is essential.
Question 5: What is a 'dynamic risk assessment' and when should a door supervisor carry one out?
- A formal written assessment completed once a year by the venue's health and safety officer
- A continuous, informal evaluation of changing risks and threats throughout a shift, informing real-time decisions (Correct answer)
- A risk assessment carried out by the police before a major event at the venue
- A checklist completed at the start of each shift by the head door supervisor
Correct answer: A continuous, informal evaluation of changing risks and threats throughout a shift, informing real-time decisions
A dynamic risk assessment is the ongoing, real-time evaluation of risks and hazards as they develop throughout a shift. Door supervisors should constantly scan for changes: a wet floor, an escalating argument, a blocked fire exit, increasing crowd density, or weather changes. This continuous assessment informs immediate decision-making and is distinct from formal, written risk assessments done in advance.
Question 6: What does the term 'duty of care' mean for a door supervisor working at a licensed venue?
- A legal obligation to protect only the venue's property and assets during the shift
- A legal and moral obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of all persons affected by their actions or inactions (Correct answer)
- A contractual duty to work the full hours of their shift without breaks
- A requirement to hold a valid SIA licence at all times while on duty
Correct answer: A legal and moral obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of all persons affected by their actions or inactions
Duty of care is a legal concept meaning that a person must take reasonable steps to avoid acts or omissions that could foreseeably cause harm to others. For door supervisors, this extends to patrons, staff, passersby, and even people being ejected from the venue. It covers both actions (using excessive force) and inactions (failing to address a known hazard). Breach of duty of care can result in civil and criminal liability.
SIA Venue Safety Management 3
During winter, ice has formed on the pavement outside a venue.
What is the door supervisor's responsibility?