Naples – Campania's railway stations are proving to be increasingly unsafe places for those who work there, particularly for security guards employed on lone duty.
The latest incident occurred last week, when a GPG was violently attacked while on duty at the EAV station in Poggiomarino. The operator, alone and without support, was guarding the facility during a high-risk time slot.
The worker himself made the incident public, reporting the attack on social media.
This fact has rekindled the debate on safety management at EAV stations and on organizational decisions that, according to the union, prioritize cost containment at the expense of worker protection.
This is not an isolated case. Just a few months ago, the private security sector was rocked by a tragedy at a station in the Benevento area, where a security guard lost his life after being crushed by a gate while entering his station.
Giampiero Bellusci, UGL Confederal Secretary and Secretary of the UGL Naples Civil Security Federation, intervened in the matter, sending a letter to the Prefect, the Police Chief, and EAV leaders requesting an urgent meeting to address the situation.
"First of all, I want to express my full and complete solidarity with the colleague who was attacked," Bellusci stated. "From what we understand, his condition is improving, but the gravity of what happened remains. As a union, we firmly condemn this episode and say enough is enough: we can no longer accept similar incidents being dismissed as 'occupational hazards.'" The attack in Poggiomarino dramatically demonstrates the inadequacy of current operational protocols.
At the heart of the complaint is the issue of lone work. "The problem is structural," Bellusci explains. "Employing a single security guard, in a single unit, in the Vesuvian stations, often isolated and at night, means exposing the staff to certain danger. Private security is a crucial protection, but without a second support unit, its deterrent effect is almost nil. The worker remains completely exposed to the actions of criminals."
A situation that has already been reported in the past. "After the tragedy that occurred in November 2025 at another EAV station, we had already reported everything, sending an urgent request to the Prefecture," Bellusci recalls. "Yet the security guards continue to be left alone, in deafening silence. In that case, the presence of a second unit could have made the difference and perhaps saved a life."
UGL is now calling for immediate action. "We have requested an urgent meeting at the Prefecture to define a specific Operational Protocol for lone work," the secretary states. "The risk of lone work must be assessed in the Risk Assessment Document and managed with concrete measures. For example, it is necessary to verify whether workers are equipped with "man-down" devices, as required by Legislative Decree 81/08. Rapid and clear assessments of responsibilities are needed."
And what if the institutions don't respond? "We won't stand idly by," Bellusci warns. "In light of the strong tensions affecting the sector, we reserve the right to call for a mobilization of private security. We need to forcefully denounce what is happening in this area."
The regulatory issue: safety on paper, risk on the ground
A In the wake of yet another episode of violence, a critical issue emerges that transcends the news. The current regulatory framework, in fact, shows clear limitations when it comes to the actual safety of operators. While the law identifies "sensitive targets" for which private security is mandatory, Ministerial Decree 269/2010 leaves wide room for interpretation on key aspects.
The Decree does not establish a binding minimum number of security guards to be employed for each service, allowing contracting authorities a discretion that too often translates into purely economic decisions. The result is a reduction in staffing and the direct exposure of workers to high risks, as demonstrated by the cases of Poggiomarino and Benevento.
A regulatory "grey area" that, according to the union, continues to have serious consequences, leaving those working on the front lines without adequate protection.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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