“No jeans, no trainers” - Licensing considerations regarding security for your premises

The industry is currently aware of the ongoing investigation being undertaken into the fatal incident that occurred at the Asake performance at the O2 Academy, Brixton on the 15th of December 2022, where a member of the security staff and the member of the public, tragically lost their lives.

The press has been providing regular updates on the investigation, detailing new allegations regarding the management of the event; specifically the conduct of the security team.  Yesterday’s headlines regarded allegations of door staff accepting bribes from ticketless guests in exchange to allow them entry into the premises, today’s reports bring fresh allegations that the venue's risk assessment did not appear to be followed.

As these allegations are currently being investigated, it is important for operators of all types of venues to note and understand their obligations under the Licensing Act 2003 specifically the promotion of the licensing objectives, but more directly the Prevention of Crime and Disorder and the Protection of Public Safety. Operators are encouraged to take heed that these obligations are those of the Premise Licence Holder and these responsibilities cannot be delegated to third party providers, eg. Security companies.

When hosting a large event, having a guest or performer of significant following or a busy weekend, Operators are urged to consider the following:

• Know the venue’s premises licence conditions, specifically those regarding to SIA door staff (e.g.is there a minimum number? is it risk assessed?);
• Undertake a written risk assessment for SIA door staff, even if this is not conditioned on the premises licence;
• Seek advice/input from your door team when preparing/updating your premises risk assessments;
• Regularly review and update your premises’ SIA risk assessments;
• Implement and follow your SIA risk assessments;
• If you employ SIA door staff directly, ensure you have the relevant front line licence;
• Check that all members of the door team deployed to your venues hold the correct valid SIA licence (i.e. Door supervisors)

During the pandemic, the hospitality sector suffered significant losses in respect of labour, specifically those within the security sector who left their security roles, without returning to the sector.  Exiting from the pandemic most operators comment on difficulties in finding appropriate security staff and the quantities required to run their premises, so now it is more important than ever to not only retain a suitable door team but to also ensure that the relevant due diligence is undertaken in respect of your security personnel.

If you require any advice or guidance in respect of the conditions on your Premises Licence regarding the SIA door team requirements, then please do not hesitate to contact us at John Gaunt & Partners.