Employer Guidelines


Overview

Argyll is continually asked by clients and new prospects for clarification surrounding the confusing messages circulating within the industry and referring to the above standards and policies.

Background

Argyll is recognised as a leading independent lone worker service provider within the UK and has a substantial pedigree in lone worker monitoring. Argyll currently delivers services to more than 250 clients in multiple industry sectors and with duty of care responsibility for almost 30,000 end user subscribers nationwide.

Argyll is an active member of the British Security Industry Association and has contributed to the current publication of BS8484 as a professional advisor representing the service provider.

Argyll is a member of the recently formed BSIA Lone Worker Steering Group and contributes reliable and honest commentary to the BSIA and to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and to ACPO(S) for Scotland.

“We need clear understanding around the processes that will determine risk and ultimately result in police response.”

“Whilst technology becomes more and more reliable – people don’t. Mistakes are made and false alarms occur (false activation remains at least 80% of all alarm activations). How do we manage that to ensure we get it right when it is most needed.”

“The relationship between police and the industry is vitally important. We simply couldn’t move forward without the support of the BSIA. That relationship extends beyond the associations to the individual providers and we certainly value the relationship that has been built up with Argyll.”

Chief Inspector John McTear: Strathclyde Police & ACPOS

ACPO welcomes the introduction of BS8484 for the management of Lone Worker Services.

“Prior to this standard calls for assistance for lone workers were ad hoc with no control or regulation over service providers. BS8484 has given the police service a framework to work with in order to bring them under the umbrella of the ACPO Security Systems Policy for police response. (Appendix V of the Policy refers). BS8484 should also assist police to identify those reputable service providers and have confidence in their ability to reduce false calls to the police and allow officers to respond with confidence to genuine calls for assistance.”

“Lone worker services are different from static intruder alarms therefore ACPO will evaluate the impact they have on the police service over a 12 month period starting on 1st February 2010. During this evaluation ACPO will liaise regularly with the approved monitoring stations and clients to see if any amendments or improvements are required.”

Ken Meanwell: Staff Officer of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Security Systems Group

Current Standards Influencing the Industry

  • BS8484
  1. A new British Standard BS8484 was published by the British Standards Institute (BSI) in September 2009 following a substantial (almost 2 years) engagement with lone worker industry stakeholders including the security industry, device manufacturers, clients and police
  2. BS8484 is a Code Of Practice (COP) that is designed to address the quality and suitability of key components used for the protection of lone workers. These basic components such as the Device, the Service Provider, the Monitoring and the Response are required for the delivery of a robust and effective lone worker solution
  3. BS8484 will seek to bench mark standards for the quality and propriety of equipment vendors and service providers engaged in lone worker service provision. Consequently the standard aims to set minimum safety features required in bespoke lone worker devices. It will also invoke minimum manpower levels, response time and resilience standards for monitoring companies
  4. It should be noted that this document is still a CODE OF PRACTICE and consequently it may change; however for the first time both clients and police are able to base an opinion as to the suitability or otherwise of any lone worker solutions offered to them
  5. BS8484 refers to the requirements of BS5979 for those monitoring service providers requiring guaranteed police response
  6. Argyll continues to engage with police and provide expert opinion to BSI via the BSIA lone worker steering group
  7. Argyll is pleased to confirm that it easily exceeds the BS8484 standard.
  • BS5979
  1. BS5979 exists to provide standards for the management and operation of Alarm Receiving Centres (ARC)
  2. BS5979 has two categories (CATI and CATII). Both Categories can provide clients with a high level of confidence in the sustained, robust delivery of Alarm monitoring services. However the principle difference between the categories is that an ARC operating to BS5979 CATII provides more physical security at the operations premises in order to cater for high security monitoring applications
  3. BS5979 does NOT define standards for ARC’s engaged in the delivery or performance expectations of lone worker services
  4. Argyll is pleased to confirm that it exceeds the requirements contained within BS5979 CATII.
  • Police Response Policy for Lone Worker Alarms
  1. Police Control Centres operate within a strict policy for responding to alarms. This policy requires ARC operators to identify each alarm activation via a Unique Reference Number (URN)
  2. Policy for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). In Scotland, a separate policy is issued by ACPO(S)
  3. ACPO policy has recently been updated and refers to BS8484 to give new guidelines to Police Control Centres for the handling of alarms from lone worker devices or systems
  4. Both ACPO and ACPO(S) are concerned about the rising numbers of currently unregulated lone worker devices and systems and the potential adverse impact of unregulated false alarms and the requirement for police attendance
  5. ACPO is currently conducting national trials with a small number of lone worker service providers (including Argyll) operating to BS8484 and BS5979 CATII. ACPO have recently issued a statement giving their reaction to the new standard (additional sheet available)
  6. ACPO(S) are currently assessing alerts raised via Argyll and will also review the results of the ACPO national trials.
  • Secured By Design (SBD)
  1. The ACPO Secured By Design (SBD) is a Crime Prevention Initiative that exists to assess security products (including lone-worker devices) with the aim to provide the general public with a ‘police approved’ brand marking that offers the public reassurance of the suitability of the security product as being ‘fit for purpose’
  2. It is entirely voluntary for Lone worker device manufacturers if they feel they should seek to achieve this ‘brand’ mark
  3. SBD does not remove or supercede the need for device manufacturers to achieve compliance with BS8484
  4. SBD does not guarantee a police response following any lone worker incident.