A door supervisor's role involves a lot more than standing in front of a door. Licences require extensive formal training in areas as far reaching as civil and criminal law, health & safety, conflict management and physical intervention. No longer just a "doorman" or a "bouncer", modern day door staff are highly qualified in a skilled trade.

They manage crowds and queues, check tickets, patrol venues, keep an eye on behaviour, deal with conflict and co-operate with emergency services should an emergency arise. With so many duties, door supervisors need to stay safe.

Personal Safety

Working as a door supervisor can be a dangerous role. With highly volatile situations in confined areas or out in the street, surrounded by alcohol fuelled crowds of youthful exuberance and invariable stupidity, door staff need to take care of themselves first and in every circumstance.

Appropriate PPE legislation dictates that workers must wear whatever protects them from hazards on site. This DOES apply to door supervisors. It is a job, and that job is done at a place of work.

Specific venues give door supervisors a dress code on what they can and cannot wear. Clothing is available that not only fits in with the uniform policy but keeps them safe. What should a door supervisor wear?

Headwear

The work a door supervisor undertakes means they do not need safety hats you see on construction sites. However, wearing hats on the job is a good way to stay safe and not break the dress code either.

Warm beanie hats are highly beneficial for door supervisors. They mainly work in the evening or late at night when the weather is colder. A hat allows door supervisors to remain in a cold environment for a long time, without putting themselves at risk of developing a cold-related illness or injury.

It is important to consider the material of the hat. If there is rain, cotton is not the best option as insulation is lost. However, wool keeps its insulation qualities, as do modern synthetic fibres such as Thinsulate™.

Upper Body

Typically a door supervisor's uniform begins with a shirt and possibly a tie. In the old days, a "bouncer" would likely be wearing a white shirt with a black tie, but more and more are opting for all black.

Long sleeved or short sleeved tends to depend on the weather or formality of the venue of event. Black shirts have the added advantage that the Hi Vis holders for the mandatory ID and licence cards stand out when worn on the arm.

When working the doors outside in the colder months, thermal vests or base layers are an effective and low-cost way to retain body heat without impairing your movement.

A Bodywarmer/Gilet could be worn in cold weather without impeding movement much too, but they are not waterproof. For waterproofing needs, a 3-in-1 Jacket would work very well, giving a fleece lining and water resistance.

In many cases, a door supervisor working outside, especially in a crowd or near a road, will wear a high visibility jacket or Hi Vis vest. These make door supervisors noticeable from a distance. This can be imperative not only for their own personal safety, but also for the safety of the people they are there to supervise.

In more severe cases, PPE equipment such as kevlar vests provides additional safety when on the job. This is highly specialised PPE and not available on our website.

Lower Body

Door supervisors need to appear professional, but they also need to remain safe. Black uniform trousers or cargo trousers that offer additional pockets to store any equipment are a good way to look professional.

While it is not a necessity, door supervisor clothing might also feature thermal trousers in colder conditions for when they need an extra layer of insulation.

The best way to achieve thermal insulation for leg is with a pair of thermal Long Johns or base-layer trousers.

Footwear

A door supervisor needs to have the right shoes or boots. Trainers are off limits, but there are plenty of smart, durable and safe options to wear. Safety shoes include a slip and oil resistant outsoles and toe caps made of steel or composite, just in case they face any danger when on the job.

A decent pair of socks can make the difference between a good and a bad day/night at work. If the nights are cold, you will need something lightweight yet thermally insulating. If you will be walking around, a double layered thermal sock will help prevent against blistering too.

Hands & Arms

If a door supervisor needs something to keep their hands warm, then gloves are the obvious answer, but consideration need to be made for the issues gloves can pose.

For instance, most gloved fingers cannot work a touchscreen phone or tablet or they may impair use of radio communications. Thankfully, fingerless gloves and even Touchscreen Sensitive gloves are available. These are perfect for keeping hands and fingers warm, but you may have other considerations.

If a door supervisor's duties may include the "gentle handling of clientele", then it is entirely possible security could come up against some of the nastier members of society. Trying to control the type of individual who carries a bladed weapon is specialist security work, and the utmost respect goes out to those willing to put themselves on the line to protect the public.

If this is a risk in the security worker's workplace, a cut-resistant glove liner usually used in the food processing industry, and a cut-resistant sleeve would allow for safe defence against slashing. They won't protect the clothing, but the person underneath will be much safer.

Conclusion

It is important that door supervisors are ready for all types of weather. If the weather starts to become cold, they need warm hats, gloves and thermal insulation.

Door supervisors also need to remain safe. Safety or cut resistant gloves will provide them with safety from hazards they may encounter. Safety shoes protect against the toes being stamped on.