Yesterday Head of MarComms Liz Lloyd was privileged to attend training for suicide first aid at Fishmongers Hall in London hosted by the Consortium for the Prevention of Suicide Suicide in the security sector and across the UK as a whole is increasing and learning the skills to identify when a person may be having suicidal thoughts is needed more than ever. This training, given by the Mental Health and Suicide First Aid Expert, Christine Clark, broke down the stigma surrounding suicide and empowered the attendees to start those difficult conversations that could save someone’s life.
This is the first step of a journey with the team at the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) as we work towards attaining BS 30480, the British Standard for Suicide and the Workplace
BS 30480 frames suicide prevention as a workplace health and safety issue, not solely an individual matter, and not something that can be left to chance. It provides a step-by-step structure that businesses can embed into everyday practice, so support is consistent, proactive, and safer for everyone involved. In practical terms, the standard emphasises the following fundamentals:
Recognise suicide as preventable harm: Workplaces should openly acknowledge the issue and treat prevention as part of their duty of care.
Put clear policies in place covering prevention (reducing risk), intervention (responding to concerns), and postvention (support after an incident or bereavement).
Create psychological safety: People should be able to raise concerns early without fear of stigma, punishment, or being dismissed.
Take a whole-business approach: leadership, managers, HR, and frontline teams all have roles to play, rather than relying on a single “champion”.
Train staff to notice and respond: colleagues need the skills to recognise warning signs and respond appropriately, including how to listen, what to say, and when to escalate.
Establish response pathways, safeguarding procedures, escalation routes, and signposting that must be clear, practised, and easy to access when needed.
Align with safeguarding partnerships and statutory guidance: Workplace policy should connect to local safeguarding expectations and wider guidance, so decisions are defensible and consistent.
In addition, the BSIA will be working with Christine to provide this essential training for our member's who are also looking to attain BS 30480. If you would like to discuss in more detail how you can join us for training, please contact our Training and Schemes Manager, Steve Dutch: s.dutch@bsia.co.uk