Why Staff Awareness Matters
ProtectUK guidance places strong emphasis on staff awareness as a key part of protective security.
Plans and procedures are only effective if the people responsible for delivering them understand what to do.
Martyn’s Law reinforces this by requiring organisations to ensure that staff are prepared to respond appropriately.
What Staff Need to Know
Staff do not need to become security experts. However, they should understand the basics.
This includes:
- How to identify something unusual or concerning
- How to report issues quickly and clearly
- What actions to take in an emergency
- Who to escalate to
This applies to all staff, not just security teams.
Who Should Be Included
Awareness should extend across the full workforce, including:
- Front of house teams
- Stewards and volunteers
- Production and operations staff
- Contractors and temporary workers
Anyone working on site plays a role in maintaining safety.
ACT Awareness Training
The UK Government provides free training through ProtectUK.
ACT Awareness is an online course designed to improve security awareness across public spaces.
You can access it here:
https://www.protectuk.police.uk/group/84
For security professionals, ACT Security provides more detailed training:
https://www.protectuk.police.uk/group/90
These resources are widely recognised and support good security practice.
Why Training Supports Compliance
Training helps to:
- Improve confidence and response times
- Reduce confusion during incidents
- Ensure consistency across teams
- Demonstrate that reasonable steps have been taken
It is one of the most effective and accessible measures available.
Conclusion
Well-informed teams are a critical part of any safety strategy.
Staff awareness turns plans into action and supports a calm, coordinated response when it matters most.