SIA Door Documentation & Communication 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Why is accurate incident documentation important for a door supervisor?
- It creates a contemporaneous record that can be used in court and protects the supervisor from false allegations (Correct answer)
- It is required only for insurance purposes
- It is completed solely for management's benefit
- It is only necessary for major incidents involving police
Correct answer: It creates a contemporaneous record that can be used in court and protects the supervisor from false allegations
Accurate, contemporaneous records demonstrate what occurred and why; they can be used in court proceedings and protect the door supervisor against allegations of misconduct or excessive force.
Question 2: What does 'contemporaneous' mean in the context of incident records?
- Made at the time of or very shortly after the incident (Correct answer)
- Made at the end of the shift
- Made only after police request
- Made after consulting with colleagues
Correct answer: Made at the time of or very shortly after the incident
A contemporaneous record is made at the time of or immediately after an incident while details are fresh; these records carry greater evidential weight than ones made much later.
Question 3: What should an incident log entry always include?
- Date, time, location, description of incident, persons involved, actions taken and outcome (Correct answer)
- Only a description of the incident
- The door supervisor's personal opinion of events
- The venue's insurance policy number
Correct answer: Date, time, location, description of incident, persons involved, actions taken and outcome
A complete incident log entry must capture the factual details: time, location, persons involved and what actions were taken, providing a clear and complete account of events.
Question 4: What is the purpose of the 'refusal log' kept by door supervisors?
- To record persons refused entry, including the reason, time and description (Correct answer)
- To record persons refused a drink at the bar
- To document staff attendance refusals
- To record deliveries refused by the venue
Correct answer: To record persons refused entry, including the reason, time and description
The refusal log records details of persons turned away, helping to demonstrate consistent and non-discriminatory application of entry policies and providing evidence if a refusal is later disputed.
Question 5: What personal information may legally be recorded in a security incident log?
- Factual descriptions relevant to the incident, handled in compliance with GDPR (Correct answer)
- Any personal information regardless of relevance
- Full home addresses of all involved parties
- Credit card details for potential compensation claims
Correct answer: Factual descriptions relevant to the incident, handled in compliance with GDPR
GDPR requires that only relevant personal data is collected and for a specified purpose; incident logs should contain factual information about the incident only, not irrelevant personal details.
Question 6: What is the CCTV data retention standard for most licensed venues?
- 31 days, unless needed for an investigation (Correct answer)
- 7 days maximum
- 6 months minimum
- 1 year mandatory
Correct answer: 31 days, unless needed for an investigation
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) guidance for licensed premises typically recommends retaining CCTV footage for 31 days; footage relevant to an incident should be preserved immediately.
SIA Door Documentation & Communication 1
Why is accurate incident documentation important for a door supervisor?