Majority of installers can achieve CCTV code

I was surprised and somewhat disappointed to read the letter entitled 'Poorly Written' in the October issue of Security Installer, referring to the recently published BS 8148:2003 standard for detector-activated CCTV, particularly having been directly involved in the intensive process to produce a workable document for the industry. As Chairman of the BSI Working Group which was responsible for producing this Code, I feel it is appropriate that I respond to your correspondent's points.

The Code of Practice has to be seen very much as a framework; the reality is that by any objective measure BS 8418:2003 is a major step forward. The CCTV industry does not have a plethora of standards and both the police and insurers have long indicated that they need such a document in order to effectively embrace this technology.

The suggestion that the standard covers too much ground is not unexpected but misses the whole point of having it in the first place. I believe that this code is pioneering in that it is probably the first standard in the industry which addresses all the elements of a particular security system.

Existing standards are more limited in their scope, for example BS 4737, soon to be replaced by EN 50131, only covers system requirements and installation. This is because a large number of intruder alarms are installed as stand alone systems and there is no requirement for the standard to cover remote transmission and monitoring. Some elements of these areas are dealt with in BS 5979, BS 7858 and, more recently in DD243. With BS 8418, however, we set out to produce a 'Code of Practice for the Installation and Remote Monitoring of Detector Activated CCTV Systems', which, as the title suggests, could address all of these aspects in one document.

Some may argue, as the letter writer does, that BS 8418:2003 does not go far enough in terms of being prescriptive, and they may well be right.

However, we felt it important to create a Code where compliance was achievable by the majority of the companies currently in the marketplace. To go from no standard at all, to an immensely detailed document might well have been self defeating. The document will, of course, be reviewed in the future by the relevant BSI committee. I would urge anyone who sees areas where it needs to be tightened up, to submit their comments to the committee over the course of the next couple of years. It should also be remembered that the Working Group was intent on not creating bias towards particular technologies. They have tried to give the industry some degree of flexibility to make choices in terms of how specific goals were to be achieved.

I know that the BSIA (British Security Industry Association) itself is in the process of producing a guide to the BS 8418:2003 which should hopefully help to address genuine and constructive questions over its effective implementation. BS 8418:2003 is definitely here to stay, and as more and more remote monitoring providers, equipment manufacturers and installers aim for compliance, the Standard will undoubtedly help to drive best practice whenever and wherever detector-activated CCTV is applied.