Editor, IFSEC Global

Author Bio ▼

James Moore is the Editor of IFSEC Global, the leading online publication for security and fire news in the industry. James writes, commissions, edits and produces content for IFSEC Global, including articles, breaking news stories and exclusive industry reports. He liaises and speaks with leading industry figures, vendors and associations to ensure security and fire professionals remain abreast of all the latest developments in the sector.
May 11, 2020

Sign up to free email newsletters

Download

The Video Surveillance Report 2022

Male security guards at high risk from COVID-19, ONS figures show

Figures calculated by the ONS (Office for National Statistics in the UK) have shown that male security guards are among those most at risk from COVID-19.

The report, released on the 11th May 2020, included an assessment of a total of 2,494 deaths that were registered up to and including 20th April 2020. Nearly two-thirds of deaths were among men, while male security guards had one of the highest rates, with 45.7 deaths per 100,000 people.

While the report does state that it does not conclusively prove that the observed rates of death involving COVID-19 are necessarily caused by differences in occupational exposure, another report has looked into this in greater detail: Which occupations have the highest potential exposure to the coronavirus?

Within this second report, ONS states: “There is a clear correlation between exposure to disease, and physical proximity to others across all occupations.”

The initial report also highlights that “COVID-19 exposure will be highest among occupations involving frequent and close interaction with others, either directly… or indirectly, such as occupations handling goods.”

The news will likely come as a concern to many in the security sector, with more workers expected to return to roles that were not previously classed as ‘critical’, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement on Sunday evening. It also demonstrates the need for security officers to have access to quality PPE when on duty, to provide as much protection as possible from the virus.

As well as healthcare roles, workers in construction and service occupations were also highlighted has having high death rates involving COVID-19. Figures were based on age-standardised mortality rates. The ONS also added that the findings could change as more deaths are registered.

Find out more about how the coronavirus has impacted upon the security and fire sectors. 

Keep up with the wireless access control market

Download this free report to find out more about:

  • The current state of wireless access control solutions in the market
  • The developing ‘move to mobile access control’ trend
  • Views on open architecture and integration
  • The growing use of the cloud and ACaaS to manage access systems
  • How important is sustainability to the industry?

Related Topics

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments