Understanding the BS7858:2019 UK Standard for Employee High Risk Screening

The British Standards Institution (BSI) had released BS7858: 2019 as a collection of standards to offer best practices and recommendations for assessing the safety of individuals working in a safe workplace, and to be utilized when the review is in the best interests of citizens.

For employment companies, the security/protection of the people, goods and services, data, and property is critical. Although the standard was created with the aim of being utilized in safe surroundings, it is today regarded as an industry standard that applies to all workplaces.

Objectives of BS7858:2019

The goal of BS 7858 screening is to gather enough information to allow companies to make an educated choice about whether to hire someone in a secure environment.BS7858 Is often a requirement of your insurer.

• BS7858 Is commonly a necessary condition demanded by your insurers.
• Contractual requirements - certain clients may set screening criteria that are equal to or beyond the standards of BS 7858.
• Public safety - who are you hiring and deploying on the job?
• It lowers potential risk
• Asset protection - employees may become established in positions of trust, with access to secret or sensitive information as well as security measures.

Factors responsible for 5 or 10-year screening in BS7858?

The screening standards in BS7858 are based on British Standards for particular services:

• BS 7499 for Security Guarding involves a 5-year security check.
• BS PD 6662 Alarm Installation - a 5-year inspection is performed.
• BS 7872 Cash and Valuables in Transit - a 10-year screening is mandatory.
• BS 5979 Alarm Receiving Centre - a 5-year inspection is performed.
• BS 7984 Keyholding and Response - a 5-year screening is essential.

There may also be contractual obligations from your clients that necessitate a longer screening time than usual. It's critical that you know what specific function the person is being examined for so that the appropriate screening time may be used.

Preliminary checks in BS7858:2019

Before commencing with the 'Limited screening,' at least the following activities must be done after the potential employee's interview.:

• Make a file for screening.
• Information is supplied in the form of an application form.
• Identity and location verification.
• Validation of the SIA's license.
• Look up public records
• Checks for global watchlists and penalties

Limitations of BS7858:2019

The personnel screening file should include the following information in addition to the preliminary checks:

• If a person is offered a conditional job after completing a limited assessment but before completing an entire assessment their employment regulations must explicitly state that the confirmed position is contingent on the successful completion of the substantial safety environment evaluation. If the comprehensive evaluation is not performed satisfactorily within the period allotted, the conditional employment will be terminated.
• The identity of the screening administrator in charge, as well as the identity of the screening controller who examined the file to ensure that the limited screening was performed in accordance with the BS 7858:2019 guidelines.
• Validation of a consistent career and experience for a minimum of three years since the previous application date. Evidence can be gained verbally, in writing, or by any other document. Once evidence has been received, the identification of the person or group that provided it should be verified. When approached through the phone, the caller's mobile number should be independently verified. It is not advisable to rely on the phone number provided by the person being screened.

The British Standard enables firms who recruit people in a safe environment to decrease the risks associated with their human resources (HR) and guarantee that these individuals' employment and work environments are safe.

Personnel selection is done from the top to the down, and top management oversees the process. Upper executives can assign responsibility for certain roles and activities, but they remain in charge of the overall process. This approach is risk-based, and the firm is responsible for using efficient and effective risk management practices when choosing how to integrate it in the company's operations so that the desired outcomes are frequently delivered.