All about security compliance – It is not ALL but “most” does not look good on the title, let’s say it’s important stuff.

As a venue manager or security supervisor in Queensland, your understanding and execution of security compliance is crucial for staff, patron, business safety, and avoiding hefty penalties. Don’t worry you will not have to undertake a whole security course or a compliance course to understand these and answer the following questions.

How can one person cover so many grounds? What all is there to know? What all can you be liable for? What is the correct ratio of guards to patrons? Does a guard need to carry his licence in the venue? Does the mistake made by on site security reflect on the venue? What are the fines? Most importantly; How to make sure you are not in a position required to search these questions?

This guide answers all your burning questions about compliance issues and best practices to ensure your venue, site or event meets all regulatory requirements in Queensland.

So, bookmark this page and have a read through whenever you have one those questions about security compliance

Documentation and Licensing: Your First Line of Defence in Security Compliance

Doesn’t matter if you are a venue owner, venue manager, duty manager or security supervisor; ensuring all security personnel have valid, appropriate licences is your responsibility. For instance, this is what “non-restricted class-1 QLD security licence” looks like.

What you need to be mindful of checking during these license checks are these few things:

Licence Validity:

• Check expiration dates. Trust us this usually the first thing noticed by a licensing officer IF and when they ask to see the security license of your on duty guard.
• You can also check the validity of the license yourself with just the license number – License Check
• Conduct randomised monthly spot checks to ensure active compliance among staff.

1. Licence Accessibility:

• All employees working in and as a security officer need to carry their licence at all times during shifts – this is a legal requirement and does carry personal fines if not met when checked by a licensing officer.
• Write it down! – Include this requirement in your venue’s security procedures manual

1. Appropriate Licensing:

• Now, there are different kinds of licenses even just in QLD. You have armed, unarmed, restricted, C1…  You get the idea. Familiarise yourself with these as there are specific functions that a person can perform under a specific license.
• Match guard qualifications with required duties in your roster planning. It may feel like a simple thing but again do not get your crowd controller working as an armed guard for instance.
• If you have a guard with a restricted licence you must ensure to always have a supervisor monitoring them. It’s like a babysitter but for guards. Also, that guard must conduct all their duties under supervision.

Remember, non-compliance can result in fines of up to $16,130 for a first offence, with subsequent breaches leading to higher penalties and potential venue/site closure.

What are you liable for? Accountability from the venue.

As a venue manager or site supervisor, you’re accountable for your security staff’s actions, even if they’re third-party contractors.

Key areas of liability:

Excessive Force:

We all know and may have seen this one. A person being more hands on then it is required resulting in a poor customer experience or even injuries.

• Implement clear use-of-force guidelines – Lately venues have started implementing a strict written no-hands policy for their security to evade any lawsuits and fines.
• Interview the guards personally before getting them started. Make sure they have had physical training and display emotional stability to deal with high stress situations.
• Maintain detailed incident reports and review them regularly – Digital reports are one of the best practices to adopt and if not make sure there are no scribbled-out reports. The report is to be written in clear concise words without any overwrites over already written material.
• Enforcing use of body cams – Having your security wear and use body cams is one of the best ways to ensure that any situation is handled in an appropriate manner.

 Discrimination:

 This could be tricky. Now what is discrimination? What can be termed as discrimination? and what is actually to be done in case something like that occurs in your venue?

• Provide comprehensive anti-discrimination training. Have a to-be-signed document ready that briefs every new and current guard that is working at the venue.
• Establish clear policies on fair treatment of all patrons. For example, during the Big Gay Day event a briefing is conducted for all security personnels which include members of the LGBTQAI+ community explaining how to treat the patrons fairly without any intentional or unintentional discrimination.
• Implement and communicate a robust complaint handling procedure.

Incident Prevention:

• Conduct monthly risk assessments of your venue
• Implement and regularly update preventive measures – This will include going through all the previous points made in the article, making sure the venue physically is in compliance with the proper signage, and copies of documents of the guards on site.
• Document all risk assessments and actions taken.

To mitigate these risks effectively:

• Verify all security personnel training and licences before engagement
• Develop a comprehensive security procedures manual
• Conduct regular pre-shift briefings to reinforce procedures and discuss potential issues

By addressing these areas proactively, you’re not just complying with regulations; you’re creating a safer environment for your patrons and staff.

Staffing Ratios for security: Ensuring Adequate Coverage of venue based on Patrons

For venues in Brisbane trading after 1am, you must maintain specific security to patron ratios:

Number of patrons	Required crowd controllers
1-100	1
101-200	2
201-300	3
301-400	4
401-500	5
Every additional 250 patrons	+1 (minimum)

To ensure compliance:

• Implement real-time patron counting systems – Most venues use a designated person with clickers. More often than not it is a responsibility taken up by the security team of the venue to keep count. However, there are a few venues that use advanced camera systems with facial locking that gives an exact number of people present in the venue at all given times.
• Develop flexible staffing plans to quickly adjust security numbers
• Maintain detailed records of patron numbers and security staff on duty

Failure to maintain these ratios can result in significant penalties, including licence suspension or cancellation.

Training and Skill Maintenance: Keeping Your Team Sharp

While individual guards are responsible for maintaining their skills, as a manager or supervisor, you play a crucial role in ensuring your team stays up-to-date. Encourage your team to regularly refresh their skills in:

Security refresher

CPP20218 Certificate II in Security Operations

but also demonstrating a commitment to best practices in security operations.

Conclusion

Think of compliance in the security industry like a team sport—venue managers, supervisors, and guards all passing the “safety baton” to protect businesses, staff, and patrons. Staying informed isn’t just about rulebooks; it’s about embracing tools like the license check by QLD government, this article, ensuring completion of the relevant training requirements.

Proactive compliance? It’s the ultimate “ounce of prevention”—cheaper than fines, smoother than explaining a breach to regulators, and way better for your reputation.

So, stay sharp, stay curious, and remember compliance isn’t a one-time checklist—it’s a living, breathing part of your venue’s DNA. Ready to level up? Let’s keep Queensland sparkling and secure, one refresher or new security course at a time.

If you want to know how to get started in security training and become a security guard in Queensland, we got you covered there too!

All information and guidelines presented are based on recommendations from business.qld.gov.au. For the most up-to-date and comprehensive information, please refer to the official website.