BS 7960:2016 was revised to accommodate changes in the legal requirements for door security staff. A “response to emergencies” section replaces the previous “contingency plan for security”, and a new threat level provides guidance for door security personnel on how to handle emergencies as divergent as performing first aid to a vulnerable person to responding appropriately to a terrorist attack or other large-scale emergency.

The revised standard has new requirements to identify and implement violence reduction measures, and that SIA – Security Industry Authority – licenses are checked against SIA records at least once a month. There are additional guidance notes regarding the Data Protection Act and SIA Licence requirements when CCTV or other data recording devices are used.

To reflect the changing face of the labour market, BS 7960 now refers to the deployment rather than the employment of door security personnel, as the individual may be under instruction of the company but paid by a third party. A new clause has also been added to ensure that the requirements of the standard are still met when the door security personnel is working for a subcontractor.

As well as public and private organizations requiring the use of door supervisors, the standard is expected to be particularly relevant to the Association of Security Consultants, the Institute of Professional Investigators, Ex-Police in Industry and Commerce, and the National Association of Security Dog Users.

Anne Hayes, Head of Market Development for Governance and Resilience at BSI, said:  “Professional door supervisors fulfil a crucial role not only in providing security for premises but in upholding the safety and wellbeing of individuals on their premises. In developing BS 7960, we worked closely with private security firms to ascertain what door security personnel need to do their job as safely and effectively as possible.”

BS 7960 now accommodates the 2013 legal requirement that all door security staff secure an SIA Level 2 Award for Up-Skilling. In common with the standard it replaces, the private security industry was heavily involved in the development of BS 7960:2016.

Organizations involved in the development of the standard include the British Security Industry Association; National Security Inspectorate; Security Industry Authority; and the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS).