WARRINGTON based security firm boss Cliff Unwin has praised the frontline key workers in the industry which has the highest COVID-19 death rate in the country.
Fortunately there have been no fatalities at Woolston based Uniqwin although a recent study carried out by the Office for National Statistics revealed security guards have the highest Covid-19 death rate in the country, with 45.7 deaths per 100,000 workers.
The figure is drawn from an analysis of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales up to and including April 2020. This study identifies the security industry, and other high-risk jobs, like bus and taxi drivers, construction workers and chefs, as low-skilled.
Cliff said: “It has been highlighted recently how much security guards brave the Covid 19 situation to carry out their work and the high risks they are taking to maintain security for organisations, Local Authorities, businesses, and others. The role of security guards has been identified as vulnerable to this high risk of the getting virus and still they have braved the situation and continued their difficult tasks.
“The words ‘FRONTLINE WORKERS’ are two words which has been used quite often throughout the coronavirus pandemic. We have all come to recognise what the words really mean. Whilst I do not believe it can be compared to a war, it certainly requires grit and determination to try to solve this worldly problem and return to normality. Although security personnel are not classified as emergency services, they are often the first point of contact and the first there at the scene to deal with an emergency.
“The doctors and nurses, the researchers, and scientists, and all the other unmentioned front-line workers working away at the front end of a dangerous fight against an invisible killer. Theirs is the fight on behalf of the public. It is a grind of determination, discipline, and fortitude no matter what their pay rate or standing in the community.
“The great majority of our own security guards at Uniqwin Security and Facilities have fulfilled their role and are still doing that. We ensured from the start of this pandemic that they had the necessary PPE and given the appropriate advice to stay safe whilst on duty and at home.
“When I am applauding the NHS on a Thursday evening, I also think of our security guards. Some of course have had to stay at home for one good reason or another, but that meant more workspaces to fill and hours to cover by the dedicated.
“I think we are very fortunate to have a loyal and dedicated team at Uniqwin and that includes senior management and Administration staff some of whom have been obliged to work at home. Our Control and Monitoring Centre staff who are under great pressure have kept our Centre operating fantastically. It also includes our mobile security staff that have been out there visiting our customer sites facing the dangers to carry out work. In the majority are our security guard personnel who are doing a fabulous job for our customers without fear or favour. Well done to them all, you are heroes in your own right, and it seems at last it has been generally recognised by the public.
“Up to now we at Uniqwin have been very fortunate, and we have not had one guard fatality from the virus. I hope very much that this stays that way and are key workers always continue to take the appropriate safeguards to keep safe and to keep our customers and their property safe.”
Cliff added: “I know from personal experience that in the security industry there are people that are well educated, some to degree level, have effective communication skills, have high technical skills and jobs that require high skills to effectively deal with emergencies and complicated issues of the security business. Such a generalisation of a whole industry is quite unreasonable. Sometimes it is easy to assume that because a job is low paid that it is also low skilled, which is not always in fact true.
“There are jobs in the security industry that are wide and varied requiring many skills to be carried out effectively, not last amongst them the ability to effectively relate to people and are communicate.
Many organisations, businesses from all types of organisations rely on the security industry to be the first contact in many situations, be they security alarms, fire, accidents, death and destruction, conflict, illness, and many more like that. Situations that require, bravery, knowledge, and experience. These are front-line situations deserving of recognition.”