What is BS 7858 screening?

BS 7858 is the British standard for security screening of people working in environments where the security of assets or people is at stake. It covers identity, employment history, and criminal record checks, and it is what you should expect for anyone holding keys to your property or working in your Alarm Receiving Centre.

The reason to care is straightforward: monitoring and keyholding involve giving strangers knowledge of when your property is empty, and in the case of keyholding, the means to enter it.

Ask whether staff are screened to BS 7858 and whether that includes the subcontractors who may actually attend. A response company covering a wide area at night often uses local subcontractors, and their screening is the one that matters at your door.

For keyholding specifically, pair this with BS 7984, which covers the keyholding service itself.