What is BS 8418 - Design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of detector-activated video surveillance systems about?
This British Standard gives guidance and recommendations on how to install and maintain detection-activated Video Surveillance Systems (VSS). BS 8418:2021 is the standard’s fifth revision, the main intention of which is to help bring a wider range of VSS into the scope of the standard and to reflect changes in legislation and technology.
Who is BS 8418 - Design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of detector-activated video surveillance systems for?
- VSS installation and maintenance companies and their engineers
- Remote Video Response Centres (RVRCs), to help with drawing up contracts between parties
What does BS 8418 - Design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of detector-activated video surveillance systems cover?
This British Standard gives best practice recommendations for the design, installation, commissioning, maintenance and operation of detection-activated VSS. It applies irrespective of the length of time the VSS are installed and/or whether the equipment can be re-used on another site.
BS 8418:2021 provides recommendations for two types of system - Type A and Type A+ - that might differ in design based on the results of a threat assessment and risk analysis that takes into account the threat and consequences of an incident occurring.
- A Type A system sets the minimum recommendations applicable to all systems within this scope and all recommendations apply to a Type A system
- A Type A+ system design includes all Type A recommendations, plus there are additional security features to detect or prevent the system being compromised
Why should you use BS 8418 - Design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of detector-activated video surveillance systems?
VSS must comply with the recommendations in this standard to be eligible for a police response via the URN system. In addition, BS 8418:2021:
- Can help ensure that the effectiveness and integrity of installed VSS are not compromised
- Can help minimize the number of false alarms passed to emergency services
- Can help VSS companies demonstrate the resilience and quality of their systems to stakeholders
- Increases the range of VSS that fall within the scope of the standard, increasing the number that are eligible for a police response
- Via the two-tier system, can help VSS companies install and maintain systems that are more tailored to their specific circumstances and therefore more efficient
- Can help VSS companies comply with changed data protection and privacy regulations and societal sensitivities in respect of surveillance systems
- Can help improve the risk management of VSS companies and systems
- Now being performance-outcome focused, can help VSS companies deploy innovative solutions more readily
What’s new about BS 8418 - Design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of detector-activated video surveillance systems?
This is a revision of BS 8418:2015. The major changes in BS 8418:2021 are:
a) The introduction of a multi-tiered approach to installing and monitoring VSS, which brings more VSS into the standard’s scope
b) The removal of RVRC operational performance requirements, which de-clutters the standard (RVRC recommendations are now relocated to a dedicated VRC standard: BS 9518:2021)
c) The refocussing of recommendations on performance outcomes rather than products, which helps enable the use of innovative solutions
d) Edits that reflect a changing cyber security and connected product environment as well as societal sensitivity about surveillance camera systems and changed data protection and privacy regulations