by Brianna Crandall — April 1, 2015—BSI, the U.K.-based business standards company, has fully revised the standard that ensures the integrity and effectiveness of an installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) video surveillance system is not compromised.
BS 8418 Installation and remote monitoring of detector-activated CCTV systems — Code of practice supersedes the 2010 standard, which provided a quality platform for detector-operated CCTV systems that is expected to be recognized by the U.K.’s Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) as part of their Security Systems policy for police response.
The revised standard ensures that the installed CCTV system provides the image output at the monitoring center that is stated in the Operational Requirement (OR), to ensure the needs of the customer are met.
Detector-activated CCTV systems are seen as an effective tool in the prevention and detection of crime, which provide visually confirmed images of incidents as they progress. They can provide value-added features such as their use being part of a safety management process when not performing the security function.
When a detector senses activity, the system transmits the images to a Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC), where they can be evaluated by an operator. These images can be viewed and a request can be made to an emergency response if there is visual evidence showing unauthorized access to the secure area and/or actual criminal activity.
Therefore it is essential that the resilience and quality of the CCTV system is high and they are maintained at all times, asserts BSI.
BS 8418 was revised to work in accordance with the principles of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner role, which was created under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. It also works with the 2013 Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which gives 12 guiding principles to create a framework reassuring the public that CCTV systems will be used to protect and support communities rather than spy on them.
What BS 8418 does:
- Provides detailed technical and non-technical requirements for interested parties in one document;
- Is the only CCTV standard that qualifies for Police Response via the Unique Reference Number (URN) route currently used by professional installers and monitoring centers across the U.K.;
- Calls on the best practice used in other CCTV and intruder alarm related applications;
- Enables the operation of a nationally recognized installer and monitoring center certification program;
- Is aligned to be in accordance with the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) CCTV standards; and
- Recommends the design, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and remote monitoring of detector-activated CCTV systems.
Developed using a consensus-based approach with industry organizations, BS 8418:2015 is promoted as being essential for anyone involved with detector-activated CCTV systems in the public or private sector, whether they are an installer, maintenance provider, monitoring center, insurer or inspection body, customer or operator responsible for the management of CCTV systems.
