In brief: standards set out what a well-designed system looks like. The simplest test of any supplier is to ask to see the design behind the quote: what each camera is for, the detail it’s designed to capture, and the standards it follows.
Why standards matter
Anyone can call themselves a security installer. Published standards describe what “well designed” means, so quality doesn’t rest on one person’s judgement.
The standards most relevant to you
- BS EN 62676 series: the European standards for video surveillance systems, including how to specify image detail (see Topic 9).
- NSI codes of practice: NCP 104 for CCTV and NCP 109 for access control. These are the codes the National Security Inspectorate uses for the companies it approves, and they describe good design and installation practice.
- BS 8418: the standard for remotely monitored, detector-activated CCTV.
- Surveillance Camera Code of Practice: legally binding on police and local authorities, and widely used by others as a benchmark for responsible CCTV.
How to judge a design
Whoever you’re considering, ask to see:
- The purpose of each camera: deter, detect or identify.
- The detail each camera is designed to achieve, as a DORI level.
- The standards the design refers to.
- How cyber security and data protection are handled.
- What you’ll receive at handover: drawings, settings and test results.
A supplier who designs well can show you all five.
Training, certification and approval
These terms get mixed up. A training qualification shows a person has studied a subject. Company approval schemes inspect a business’s work against a standard. Both have value. Neither replaces seeing the design itself.
The questions to ask
The right questions tell you more about a supplier than any badge.
Electronic security for over a decade, after an early career in IT networks.