The company hiring contract security — the client — ignored security risks, exposing the guards and staff to unnecessary risks. That client is liable because their inaction resulted in the death of a security guard.
The same thing is happening in Canada. Governments have blinders on. They desperately cling to the idea that security guards stand around and look pretty. Some might, but the majority face increasingly challenging, dangerous, and litigious situations. Basic Security Training fails to prepare guards for these situations. Indeed, across Canada, security guards are taking on roles formerly held by police: patrolling high-risk areas, walking beats, enforcing bylaws, issuing transit tickets, trespassing individuals, responding to alarms, etc.
Security guard deaths have skyrocketed in Canada — 7 deaths in the last 5 years, compared with 1 death in the preceding 20 years. Without adequate training, more security guards are going to needlessly die.
