Table of Contents
BS8243 and DD243 may seem like random strings of alphanumeric code, but they are the cornerstone of modern commercial alarm system standards.
These security standards allow companies to follow strict guidelines that enable them to provide hardware and services that are compliant, competent, and recognisable by relevant professional bodies and regulatory authorities.
The British standards highlight the triumph of modern industry and professionalism that enable the UK to be regarded as one of the leading countries in security technology. British standards ensure quality and consistency across materials, manufacturing, and maintenance, and facilitate confidence in customers.
Products or services that do not follow the British Standards may be deemed unfit for use and may even be dangerous, especially in security situations that require strict monitoring and control.
Commercial alarm systems are designed to keep areas safe from a range of threats, which is why these systems need to be fully compliant. Thanks to alarm system standards such as the BS8243 and DD243, business owners can rest at ease knowing that their property will remain protected.
Read on to learn all about British Standards (BS8243, DD243) for commercial alarm systems, how they make your alarm systems compliant, and what the standards say about servicing and maintenance:
UNDERSTANDING BS8243, DD243 FOR COMMERCIAL ALARM SYSTEMS
BS or British Standards 8243 are the gold standard for developing compliant commercial alarm systems in the UK. In the same way, DD or Draft for Development 243 are also standards designed for commercial alarm systems; however, DD243 were a precursor to the new standards, which were eventually renamed to BS8243.
The BS8243 is a British “code of practice” for designing intruder and hold-up alarm systems that generate “confirmed alarm conditions”. These standards help manufacturers design and develop modern systems that are up to the mark and provide a wide variety of security coverage, thereby making them more suitable for commercial use and also recognisable by enforcement agencies and even insurance companies.
The DD243 were established in 2010, hence their name DD243 2010. It was also presented as a code of practice specifically for addressing systems that incorporate alarm confirmation for signalling to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
HOW BS8243 AND DD243 WORK
Commercial alarm systems work by monitoring a premises discreetly and passively. When an intruder steps into the perimeter of the alarm, the alarm sends a signal to the monitoring station or the ARC, where professionals assess the signal, confirm the intrusion, and notify the police.
You can think of DD243 as the precursor to confirmed alarm practices, which, in the modern day, have been renamed to BS 8243 (which was last updated in 2021). These updated standards are also integrated with European or EN standards via PD6662. Since newer standards have replaced many of the older British ones for new installations, BS8243 stands as a modern code of practice for commercial alarm systems in the UK.
Other relevant standards include BS5979 for alarm signalling to ARCs, BS9263 for maintenance, commissioning, and remote support of intruder alarms, and BS8473 for outlining the code of practice for the management of false alarms.
These standards work together to provide full compliance coverage and help validate alarm confirmations, maintenance activities, police responses, and insurance claims.
Why are these standards used? The biggest reason is to verify confirmed signals from false ones. When commercial alarm systems were introduced, the earlier models were shown to send out false alarms, which understandably put an added burden or load on local law enforcement.
To counter this, the British Standards were put in place so that the system could first verify the alarm and only then send out a confirmed alarm activation to the police via the ARC.
These systems validate the alarm and confirm it using several acceptable methods, such as sequential, audio, and visual data. The most commonly used method is the sequential method, which highlights events with two independent detections within a defined time window.
In other words, the system must flag at least two independent detections in the premises to confirm the intrusion. Installers use modern practices which help them strategically place these alarms in a way that they can easily and independently detect events and confirm the intrusion, which greatly reduces the chances of false alarms.
This is an important factor since it not only enables local police to act promptly but also allows them to provide continued protection. As per police guidelines, 3 false calls from a premises are grounds for police withdrawal, which is why you should only invest in commercial alarm systems that follow these standards.
These standards also outline guidelines for strong signal transmissions to the ARC, which helps in loss-of-signal events. In many cases, insurers typically require dual-path communication, such as IP and cellular, so that even if one path fails, the backup can still send the signal for an intrusion.
The standards also cover the various aspects related to maintenance, commissioning, and testing so that the systems remain free from logic errors, hardware problems, and signal issues.
BENEFITS OF USING BS8243 AND DD243
These standards work behind the scenes to help you get the most out of your commercial alarm systems in the UK. Here are some of the key benefits of using hardware that is designed using these standards:
Eligibility for Police Response
Alarm systems that use these standards provide a Type A or Level 1 response from local police. Insurance companies and users often demand that these systems be “police response capable”, which allows them to communicate with the ARC effectively and provide an immediate response.
A complaint system is designed to meet the police’s requirements and the insurer’s criteria for response, which enables better protection and insurance coverage compared to using non-standard security hardware.
Reduced False Alarms
The great thing about adopting these standards is that they enable alarm systems to minimise false alarms, which are not just a nuisance but can also lead to police withdrawal, especially if there have been three or more false alarms in 12 months.
Confirmation logic and false alarm management are integral to the British Standards, which help these systems reduce false confirmations and improve operational reliability while also reducing disruption in the premises.
Insurance Compliance
Insurers like to mitigate risk at all levels. So, if you install a system that is non-standardised, then you may not be able to validate your claim. Many insurers give preferential premiums or may even mandate that commercial premises have alarm systems that conform to BS8243 and are installed by NSI or SSAIB installers like Calder Security.
Insurance companies emphasise the importance of installing compliant hardware so that users can easily validate their claims and mitigate the risk of intrusion in the first place. This way, if an actual intrusion does occur, it will most likely be confirmed and be eligible for a genuine claim.
Regulatory Coverage
Commercial spaces like banks, museums, data centres, and retail shops with stock need to install compliant hardware to not only maximise their protection but also highlight the business’s commitment to follow compliance at all levels.
This not only adds to the prestige of the brand in the eyes of the public but can also help the business mount a strong legal defence in the case of an incident where the insurance company is not willing to pay for the claim.
Withdrawal Reinstatement
Although rare, even if these compliant systems flag a false alarm, their status as a compliant hardware makes it easier to negotiate or regain police response. This is subject to proof of remedial action, logs, and event details, but it can provide leverage to business owners seeking immediate reinstatement of police protection.
In comparison, non-compliant hardware is more vulnerable to false alarms and can lead to an immediate denial of response by local law enforcement.
Audit and Traceability
British Standards also cover how the system logs errors, confirmed signals, and intrusion events. A compliant system will always have logs, diagnostic reports, maintenance records, and even error detection, which can be helpful for investigations, insurer audits, and forensics.
Supporting Legacy Standards
While the new BS8243 standard has replaced DD243 2010, it is important to understand that these standards may be backwards compatible. However, it is also important that business owners upgrade their legacy systems to be fully compliant. This requires a significant redesign of the entire security system around the premises, but it is worth it if you consider the benefits discussed above.
Please keep in mind that some insurers or law enforcement agencies may interpret the older standards differently, which is why it is crucial that you first confirm with local police guidelines and read through the insurance policy carefully.
BRITISH STANDARDS FOR SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
Just like any other electronic system, commercial alarm systems also require proper servicing and maintenance to ensure continuous reliability, efficiency, and performance.
The relevant British standards for maintenance of these systems are BS9263, which includes recommendations and requirements regarding maintenance, testing, and management of such systems.
According to the standard, a single designated individual or “responsible person” must be appointed to oversee all matters relating to the alarm system. This is to ensure that maintenance, testing, fault logging, and corrective actions are performed in accordance with the applicable standards and on time.
There are three primary reasons for routinely maintaining and testing your commercial alarm system:
- To detect faults or degraded performance and take corrective action.
- To ensure that no major component failures or communication path failures occur.
- To ensure that users remain familiar with the system status, operation, and fault indications.
These objectives can be fulfilled by setting up a schedule for maintenance activities where every hardware is inspected for the faults mentioned above. The frequency of the maintenance tasks may vary depending on system grading, environment, and insurer or ARC requirements.
ROUTINE INSPECTION FOR COMMERCIAL ALARM SYSTEMS
As a best practice, business owners must delegate the responsibility of maintenance and routine checks to a capable and accredited third-party security company, such as Calder Security, to keep the system up to date.
Routine checks can involve the following:
- Testing communication path status and checking fault LEDs.
- Verifying that the system status display is healthy during a normal working period.
- Ensuring that entry/exit doors, door contacts, exit sensors, etc., are not physically impaired or obstructed.
- Ensuring keyholders remember codes and procedures and refreshing their knowledge if needed.
The great thing about these routine checks is that they are very brief and do not impede the system’s ability to detect threats, even when maintenance activities are taking place.
PERIODIC SERVICING BY CALDER SECURITY
Business owners can get peace of mind if they opt for the services of SSAIB-approved security companies like Calder Security.
These companies can provide more detailed inspections, conduct function tests, and provide preventative maintenance. This detailed inspection is performed according to BS9263 and may include:
- Inspection and functional testing of all detectors, sensors, and warning devices.
- Verification of communication paths (Alarm Transmission System, primary and backup)
- Verification of power supplies, battery health and capacity, and backup systems.
- Verification of anti-tamper systems and wiring integrity.
- Checking arming and unarming logic for entry and exit sequences, delay paths, and confirmation logic related to sequential or other confirmation methods.
- Reviewing and clearing log or event histories and verifying fault records.
- Visual inspection of wiring and environmental factors such as moisture, temperature, and corrosion.
- Carrying out corrective repairs or replacements in the case of fault detection.
- Providing a detailed maintenance record or report which includes listing the number and types of tests performed, results, faults, and any remedial actions.
By following standards, business owners may not only boost security but also improve police response and ensure that they will always receive a Level 1 response from local authorities. Compliance also plays a major role in insurance claims and enables companies to easily process claims, even in the rare event of a theft.
CONTACT CALDER SECURITY
At Calder Security, we provide a comprehensive range of burglar alarm services with professional installation, monitoring, maintenance, and repair services.
We have been in the security industry for over 40 years and have extensive knowledge about all kinds of burglar alarm systems. Our experts can also recommend the best system suited for your domestic and commercial security needs.
We are SSAIB-approved installers, and all of our burglar alarm installations are carried out by qualified, experienced engineers who comply with standards: PD6662: 2010, DD243, and BS8243, required to qualify for police assistance.
Our systems meet the stringent requirements of BS4737 and European Standard EN50131 (Intruder Alarm Systems in Buildings). We have both wired and wireless systems and can also advise you on the best option for your property. Our expert installers guide and train users before leaving the site, making sure they are comfortable with the system and understand how it works.
We understand the importance of regularly maintaining security systems since the inability to do so might result in serious faults and consequent vulnerabilities in your property’s security.
We provide professional maintenance checks, reminders, and contracts to help you stay compliant with the law and work fast to restore your security systems to excellent condition. We offer a 24-hour call-out service for customers and can also repair systems not installed by us. Our engineers are highly skilled and can restore faulty systems to full working order in one visit.
Contact us here or call us at 0800 612 9799 to talk to our experts for more information on understanding British Standards (BS8243, DD243) for commercial alarm systems.
Photo by Dylan Mullins on Unsplash