For many security-associated jobs, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of physical intervention: the situations in which it may be needed, as well as the proper manner in which it must be carried out. It is important to undergo the appropriate training prior to work involving physical intervention, since improper conduct or actions can result in serious medical or even legal implications.

A vital aspect of physical intervention training is conflict management, which provides an understanding of non-aggressive contact and communication, which should help workers be able to control a situation, and keep physical intervention itself as a last resort. Pain should never be used as a method by which cooperation is achieved, and thus conflict management is very important. Most training programmes will enable workers – male or female – to feel confident in choosing the best approach to calm any disruptive situation, safeguarding not only themselves, but colleagues, as well as clients or consumers.

Skills learnt on a Physical Intervention course

Generally, there are four different types of skills workers will be taught under the banner of ‘physical intervention’:

• Disengagement: This provides a number of non-aggressive or forceful methods of communication to attempt to calm a situation before there is need for physical contact or force. This could simply be through specialised body language, or extend to tone of speech, or gentle physical contact to calm someone before they cause anyone harm.
• Holding: In a variety of front-line security work, there may be occasions in which it is necessary to physically escort or hold an individual, protecting those around them from the situation becoming more disruptive. For these occasions, workers will be taught certain manoeuvres to protect others as well as avoid pain or discomfort in the individual.
• Additional holding: Should the situation call for it, some workers may be required to hold or restrain individuals in a horizontal position. Training will attempt to prevent any manoeuvres being carried out which will cause any medical or legal implications.
• Specialist: For the most extreme of situations, some workers may be required to manage an individual who is particularly aggressive and dangerous to others. Training can teach workers how to correctly carry out specialist manoeuvres, as well as use handcuffs correctly and safely. Depending on which company provides training, workers may be taught how to become familiar with and comfortable using other equipment in the managing situations of conflict.

Common scenarios are often used in training to provide workers with the knowledge of what to do in situations they are likely to come across.  The key aim of physical intervention training is to ensure workers feel confident and safe in the tasks ahead of them, whatever challenges they encounter.