The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has announced two new sections of membership. Resulting from the merger of the Access Control and Property and Asset Protection Sections, the new Access and Asset Protection Section will consist of companies in the manufacture, supply and install of products that restrict, control and monitor the movement of people, assets or vehicles in, out and around a building or site. This will now include physical protection methods such as security doors, fencing, locks, barriers, safes and strong rooms as well as electronic access control systems.
Meanwhile, a new Vacant Property Protection Section will see a working group formally recognised as a section of BSIA membership, focusing on security measures and services introduced when a property is at increased risk of crime because of a change in its occupancy.
BSIA Technical Manager, Paul Phillips, said: “We have often seen that common issues arise when looking at the physical protection and the associated electronic systems, and by merging the two sections, member companies involved can benefit from getting involved in activity relating to both aspects.”
The former Access Control Section included a dedicated Technical Committee, which drafted technical guides and provided input into British and European Standards relating to the sector. The technical committee will continue to operate under the new section, with proposals including the creation of a new technical committee for the Access and Asset Protection Section, to handle matters requiring detailed work specific to the area of physical protection.
Chairing the new Access and Asset Protection Section is Mike Sussman of TDSi, previously chair of the Access Control Section. Mike says: ““The merger between Access Control and Asset Protection further strengthens the strengths of the two original sections. The merger will strengthen the section and technical meetings such that all areas of access control are now covered for all end-user markets. I look forward to the continued growth of this section throughout the year as we continue to educate the market.”
The initial focus of the Vacant Property Protection Section will be to see the completion of work at the British Standards Institute (BSI) on BS8584, the standard for Vacant Property Protection. This will provide a benchmark against which customers can compare providers to ensure they receive a high quality service. This British Standard will build upon the BSIA’s own Code of Practice for vacant property protection (Form 154). Visit www.bsia.co.uk/sections.
