Throughout my time carrying out assessments of young apprentices who are working towards the 1882 NVQ scheme Levels 2 and 3, I have often been questioned about the relevance of the European Standards EN50131 in regard to installing abroad.
These people who are just starting out in the industry are unclear on one point: Now that we are working to the Euro Norms in the UK, does it provide clearance for trained personnel to work beyond the UK but within the subscribing nations?
Unfortunately the answer to such a straightforward question is ‘No’. Although the role of EN50131 is to harmonise national documents, it does not provide an easier route for the security company to carry out installation work widely throughout the European community.
In fact, this answer may well come as a surprise to quite a lot of people … or perhaps we have never given it too much thought.
Local requirements
Historically, standards tended to be specifications that related to equipment with tests intended to prove that such equipment complied with the standard.
EN50131 is, in practice, a suite of standards which also includes installation criteria.
This suite of standards was formed to replace the subscribing nations’ national standards which included our own BS 4737, BS 7042 and BS 6799.
It meant that in Europe we would then have one set of harmonised documents for intruder and hold up alarm systems.
It took away the fragmented intruder industry specifications that both manufacturers and installers had originally worked to.
However it does not follow that UK-based installers, even when competent in interpreting and working to ENs, can simply start carrying out installations within the European community.
There are reasons for this. The problems are down to the particular nations’ legal, financial and licensing rules that go beyond the technical aspects that are contained within the ENs.
I have always supported the move to harmonised standards, although there must be good communications in the industry between all parties if we are to achieve effective documents in the first place. The selection of equipment and components has become standardised by the adoption of the grading system. BSIA representatives work on European standards to ensure that they meet the practical needs of the industry and its customers.
Range of differences
We must consider other essential working details if we intend to start up an installation business overseas with assets and maintenance contracts, and we will certainly find different legal, financial and licensing requirements throughout Europe … and what a range of differences there are!
Some of the considerations are:
- local police vetting;
- proving competence in that country by having national qualifications;
- obtaining a fiscal license;
- registering the business as an installer of security systems (this may prove to be more complex than required of other trades);
- becoming accepted by receiving centres for remote signalling.
There may also be national inspectorate needs and police/insurance response demands for monitoring. There is also a concentration on communications in mainstream security systems and in the ENs.
Here in the UK, of course, we have Grade 2X within the scope of PD6662 which allows for non-communicating systems. We also have to contend with the ACPO Policy and DD243 for confirmed activations. There are also directives on the control of nuisance noise and the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act. We can expect to find such diversities in other European countries, so we must learn the by-laws and different building practices and gain local knowledge before we can even think of becoming profitable.
Close look at Spain
I favour ENs as they will help us explore the wider world. But we must look at the bigger picture. Let me detail the requirement for Spain.
My ‘Numero Identificacion de Extranjeros’ (NIE) for Spain and its territories was taken out more than ten years ago. Introduction of the recent ENs has made no difference to installing there as an NIE still has to be applied for so the bearer may be entered into the country’s taxation system, and this involves police vetting.
From this stage, a fiscal licence to trade must also be obtained. This is to be in relation to the nature of the business to be carried out and is gained from the local authority. The applicant must also be registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Interior and a law agreement number gained.
For insurance purposes, approval to install security systems is to be sought through the different police forces for the different levels. In fact this works rather like our old police ‘approved list of installers’ scheme. Collection of money for services without the correct licensing is classed as fraud.
Arrangements also need to be made with the monitoring station in regard to a response policy and police priorities. And local knowledge and building constructions/architectural working practices can only come with experience after we get up and running.
Is cabling different?
An installer cannot come to the UK from abroad and establish a reputable business but fail to follow our established security systems practices involving qualifications and certification schemes. So it follows that we cannot go overseas and think we can do things in the same way that we have always done them in the UK!
One of the subjects I am most frequently asked by apprentices is about the practical requirements that exist for the actual routing and protection of cables. This is because wiring is one of the early skills they must learn. In new installations cabling can be a big problem. In fact this always seems to apply, no matter which country we work in.
Throughout Europe local practices will remain for the cable format types and the running-in of wiring as these are governed by the site and buildings.
In the absence of any exact specification for the support and containment of cabling within Euro Norms there will be a need to call up the techniques from other national standards. In other cases the inspectorates or local authorities may have their own requirements.
In many European countries, cables are run in flexible tubing that is attached throughout the buildings. This tends to be rather different to UK techniques applied in our properties which are constructed with more voids and cavities/shafts.
In reality, the cables in use are similar in Europe for the same roles, going from standard, low smoke and fume through to screened, power, twisted pair and data. Now we even have harmonised colours, but the means of routing and protecting certainly differ.
A further aspect is the need to work with the low-voltage (mains) supply for the control and ancillary equipment and to carry out the necessary inspection and test. This can involve other legal considerations in the same way we need to be alert here to our own Part P of the Building Regulations and the IEE Wiring Regulations. Beware, because in both industrial/commercial and domestics in much of Europe mains wires are often encountered as ‘singles’ rather than as multi core cable.
Working in the wider world
Having ENs is a huge help because it does mean that we only need to adapt our established installation policies to the local requirements in regard to the:
- Assessment of risk
- Technical survey system design
- Installation of system with an agreed specification
- Installation of equipment and components to the manufacturers’ recommendations
Therefore we immediately have a familiar plan that we can follow, even though we may be working in a different country. The assessment of risk will vary because the area and building/boundaries will be rather different to those of the UK, but by taking into account the local installation practices the technical aspects of the other three requirements should be adaptable.
Insurers had a great influence on the initial grading issue so professional judgements need to be made in regard to insurance expectations.
Bear in mind the logic of deciding which would be the highest grade of intruder likely to be encountered for the particular risk in any specific country.
Apprentices are our future
The apprentices of today are our future. Under the modern apprenticeship route they start by studying the Intruder and Electrical Principles modules. In the National Foreword of the Application Guidelines for the UK prefixed document DD CLC/TS 50131-7:2003 it states that all those responsible for the risk assessment and design, installation, maintenance and repair of intruder alarms must hold appropriate qualifications. However there is no defined agreed qualification structure so it is controlled at a national level.
It is clear that only harmonised technical documents can enable ‘barriers to trade’ to be broken down. Having reflected on EN 50131 it should show that to start-up a successful security systems installation business in the wider world involves a multitude of talents that go well beyond the content of this document alone.