Recent SIA update: Is Level 3 First Aid at Work certification mandatory?

There’s been a lot of speculation and conjecture around the recent SIA update regarding a new requirement that’s been added to the list of qualifications for obtaining an SIA security license.  

The SIA has now made it mandatory to have a First Aid certification if you’re looking to work in the security industry. This has been made mandatory since 1st April 2021 for new qualifications and from 1st October 2021 for top-up training.  

Why is the Level 3 Emergency First Aid at Work certification now mandatory for a security job as per the recent SIA update? 

A security guard’s top priority is to ensure the safety of the masses. While medical safety of people was up until now left to the medical experts, the SIA now recognizes the need to have security personnel trained in First Aid.  

This is because medical assistance can’t usually become available in emergency situations at the drop of a hat. And in such situations, the presence of security personnel trained in First Aid in the vicinity could very well be the difference between life and death. 

How can I obtain First Aid training along with SIA security training as per the recent SIA update? 

You will ideally need to have a First Aid certification at hand if you wish to pursue any SIA license linked training. We at Bright Learning Centre provide SIA security training which includes First Aid training as well.  

For further details on the courses we offer, please contact us or approach us directly at our learning centres on Evington Road and Melton Road. We await you with arms! 

Which institutions can I pursue SIA Security training or First Aid course from? 

There are a lot of institutions that provide SIA Security and First Aid courses as per the recent SIA update requirements. You can access the entire list of courses through a quick Google search.  

Inspite of the fact that getting the information on the training providers is easy, its very difficult to discern the best trainers amongst the plethora of options available.  

Here’s a list of a few things you can take into consideration when pitting various options against one another: 

• Location:

  Where the training providers are located should be a big part of your decision. This is because the cost of commuting to and from classes is an additional overhead cost attached to the fees you need to pay to your training provider. We would suggest that you conduct a comprehensive cost analysis and then zero in on a particular training provider.  

• Goodwill:

  While costs involved are definitely a huge part of the decision, the goodwill that the institute has as regards course delivery, should also be one of the primary parameters while making the final call. Now how do you gauge something as abstract and intangible as goodwill? Million-dollar question! Here’s a list of things you could consider to get a bird’s eye view of goodwill on course delivery:  

1. Google reviews
2. Word of mouth
3. Quality, frequency and most importantly audience reciprocation of the company’s social media campaign 
4. Alumni traces

• Teaching style:

  Every learner is different and so is their learning style. You first need to gauge which teaching styles have worked best for you in the past, and then ascertain which learning provider can provide the same. You can visit their website and social media for previews of their teaching styles.  

So that’s a wrap on our take on recent SIA update regarding security license. We hope we were able to provide the information you needed right now. In case you need any further assistance, please feel free to contact us.