The Changing Face of Certification & Regulation

The topic of certification could be seen as rather dry — even boring — but it really is interesting! The Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) is what used to be called an inspectorate, but these days its role is better defined as a certification body.

SSAIB isn’t a trade association and doesn’t have members. As a not-for-profit organisation, its role is to ensure that purchasers, specifiers, and end users of security systems and services, fire detection, and alarm systems have access to a pool of competent and professional providers of products and services.

Here in the UK, the role of certification bodies is changing alongside other regulations and trends.

These days, SSAIB is involved in areas including the manned guarding sector, for instance through the SIA’s Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).

Fire risk assessment under BAFE’s SP205 Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment scheme introduced last year is another area of expanding interest. SSAIB is one of three certification bodies so far to gain UKAS accreditation for certification to this SP205 scheme.

As in most other walks of life we have to compete, in our case with rival certification bodies. But we also work alongside them when participating in the development of standards and regulations to ensure these reflect current thinking and are workable in practical terms. Close liaison with the police, fire services, and insurance industry is also essential to ensure their ongoing support.

Keeping it real
Any certification body must be aware of evolving market factors, making sure that its activities remain relevant. Demand for services is driven by changing circumstances, which includes evolving political, economic, and legislative requirements and standards.

These in turn create a need for certification schemes that provide customers of new services with the ability to buy with confidence, knowing that certificated providers meet relevant standards, regulations, and criteria. In a nutshell, that’s why certification matters so much.

For instance, faced with an aging population, government policy is increasingly focused on helping the elderly and disabled to remain in their own homes.

Telecare is thus becoming an increasingly important element in social and healthcare services, which in turn underlines the importance of services such as social alarm systems’ installation and monitoring.

Meanwhile, in the security field, demand for effective protection of void properties is rising, partly driven by insurance requirements, throwing a spotlight on temporary alarm systems.

For example, to safeguard construction areas, vacant premises, and other buildings at risk from vandalism, arson, squatters, criminal damage, and other harmful attacks.

Elsewhere, a public consultation period has just closed on fresh government proposals that would move responsibility for the standards and behaviour of 330,000 security staff from the SIA onto an estimated 4,200 businesses currently operating in the UK.

This would free up the regulator to focus its resources on driving up standards across the industry and combating criminality by targeting companies or employees that fail to meet required standards.

For certification bodies including SSAIB, this changing landscape provides a challenge while also offering scope to tailor schemes that deliver for customers and service providers alike.

2013 will see no let-up in the pace of market change.