Organisations place considerable trust in people who can access sensitive premises, systems, information, assets or members of the public. BS 7858 provides a structured framework for screening individuals working in these secure environments.

The standard is particularly well established in the private security industry, but its application is not limited to security guards. It can also be relevant to roles in facilities management, financial services, data centres, logistics, infrastructure and other environments where insider activity could threaten people, property, information or organisational integrity.

But what does BS 7858 screening involve, when is it required and where does responsibility sit when checks are outsourced?

What is BS 7858?

BS 7858 is the British Standard for screening individuals working in a secure environment.

Its full title is:

BS 7858:2019: Screening of individuals working in a secure environment – Code of practice

The British Standards Institution defines a secure environment broadly. It can include any setting in which an insider could steal or compromise data, information, physical or intellectual assets, or threaten people’s safety.

BS 7858 sets out a consistent screening process intended to help employers assess whether an individual is suitable for a position of trust. It does not guarantee how someone will behave in the future, but it can identify unexplained information, discrepancies or potential risks that require further assessment.

The current edition was published in September 2019 and replaced BS 7858:2012.

Who is BS 7858 screening for?

BS 7858 is primarily intended for individuals whose work gives them access to secure environments or assets.

This can include permanent employees, temporary workers, contractors and people moving into a more sensitive role within an organisation.

Examples may include people working in:

• security and guarding
• keyholding and alarm response
• CCTV and control rooms
• facilities and property management
• data centres and technology infrastructure
• financial services
• transport and logistics
• utilities and critical infrastructure
• defence and government supply chains
• roles with access to valuable goods, sensitive records or restricted premises

The National Protective Security Authority recommends applying an appropriate level of screening to anyone given access to organisational assets, including permanent, temporary and contract workers.

BS 7858 should not, however, be treated as a universal screening standard for every employee. Employers should determine whether it is appropriate by considering the role, working environment, contractual requirements and risks involved.

Is BS 7858 a legal requirement?

BS 7858 is a code of practice rather than legislation. It is therefore not automatically a legal requirement for every organisation or security role.

However, compliance may be required by:

• an industry accreditation
• a customer contract
• a tender or framework
• an insurer
• an organisation’s internal security policy
• another relevant sector standard

Security businesses participating in the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme must screen individuals in accordance with BS 7858 or an appropriate sector equivalent. The SIA uses BS 7858 as an important benchmark when assessing approved contractors.

An individual may also need an SIA licence for certain regulated security activities. An SIA licence and BS 7858 screening are related but separate requirements: holding a licence does not replace the employer’s screening responsibilities.

What checks are included in BS 7858 screening?

BS 7858 is a screening process rather than one standalone background check. It combines several areas of verification to build a documented picture of an individual’s identity, history and suitability for a secure role.

The precise process should follow the current published standard and the employer’s risk requirements. It commonly includes the following.

Identity and address verification

The organisation must establish that the person being screened is who they claim to be and verify their current address using appropriate evidence.

Identity verification is fundamental because the reliability of every subsequent check depends on information being matched to the correct individual.

Right to Work verification

The employer must complete the appropriate statutory Right to Work check before employing someone in the UK.

This is a separate legal obligation as well as an important part of establishing the individual’s identity and eligibility to undertake the work.

The employer remains responsible for completing a compliant Right to Work check, even where other elements of screening are managed by a third-party provider.

A complete career history

BS 7858 establishes a minimum screening period of five years.

The candidate is normally required to provide a continuous record covering employment, education, self-employment and other activity during the relevant period. Longer histories may be required because of the role, contract or employer’s risk policy.

Employment information is verified with suitable sources wherever possible. Self-employment, study, unemployment, travel, caring responsibilities and other periods may require different forms of evidence.

The purpose is not simply to obtain references. It is to establish a coherent and supportable history without unexplained periods.

Verification of gaps in activity

Gaps of more than 31 days within the required history should be accounted for and supported appropriately.

A gap is not automatically a cause for concern. People may have been travelling, seeking work, caring for someone, studying or recovering from illness. What matters is that the period is declared accurately and can be reasonably verified.

Criminal record checking

BS 7858 screening includes an appropriate criminal record check, commonly a basic disclosure.

In England and Wales, a basic DBS check shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions. Equivalent services operate through Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI.

An employer cannot request a standard or enhanced DBS check solely because a role is being screened to BS 7858. Higher-level DBS checks are only available when the position meets the relevant legal eligibility criteria.

Where an individual has lived or worked overseas, the employer may also need to consider an appropriate overseas criminal record check. A UK DBS check does not provide a comprehensive search of records held in other countries.

Financial probity checks

A financial probity check can identify relevant publicly available information such as:

• bankruptcies
• individual voluntary arrangements
• insolvency information
• county court judgments
• other adverse financial records covered by the screening process

The purpose is not to assess whether someone is wealthy or has a high credit score. It is to identify financial information that may be relevant to the risks of a position of trust.

An adverse result should not automatically disqualify a candidate. Employers should consider the nature, value, age and circumstances of the information, together with its relevance to the role.

Global watchlist checks

Screening can include checking the individual’s details against relevant sanctions, watchlists and other risk databases.

This may help identify potential matches relating to sanctions, financial crime, fraud or other restrictions. Potential matches need to be reviewed carefully because people can share names or other identifiers.

The introduction of broader global watchlist checking was one of the notable developments in the 2019 edition of the standard.

Supporting information and risk assessment

The screening process may identify information that cannot be verified through the preferred source or requires further explanation.

The organisation should have a documented process for:

• investigating discrepancies
• requesting further evidence
• assessing identified risks
• deciding whether an exception can be accepted
• recording who authorised that decision

BS 7858 is not intended to replace judgement. It provides a consistent framework through which evidence and risk can be considered.

Does BS 7858 require five or ten years of employment history?

The standard sets a minimum screening period of five years.

Some employers request ten years because of the role, sector, client contract or their own security requirements. A “ten-year BS 7858 check” should therefore be understood as an extended screening scope rather than the default requirement for every candidate.

Employers should make the required period clear before screening begins and avoid requesting more information than is necessary for the role.

Can someone start work before screening is complete?

BS 7858 provides for provisional employment in defined circumstances, but this should not be treated as permission to place an unscreened person into any role without controls.

Before provisional employment begins, the organisation should complete the required preliminary checks and undertake a documented risk assessment. It should also consider:

• the person’s duties
• the assets or information they can access
• the level of supervision available
• whether access can be restricted
• any contractual or client requirements
• the progress of outstanding checks

Any provisional arrangement should be actively monitored and the remaining screening completed within the timescales specified by the standard.

Where risk cannot be managed appropriately, full screening should be completed before the individual is given access to the secure environment.

How long does BS 7858 screening take?

There is no single completion time for every candidate. The duration depends on factors including:

• the length and complexity of the candidate’s history
• how quickly previous employers respond
• whether organisations have closed or changed ownership
• periods of self-employment or overseas residence
• missing or inconsistent information
• criminal record processing times
• the need to verify gaps
• potential watchlist or financial-record matches

A straightforward case with responsive referees may progress quickly. A complex international or fragmented history can take longer.

Employers can reduce delays by setting clear requirements, collecting complete information at the outset and using a screening process that allows candidates and screening teams to resolve queries promptly.

What happens if a discrepancy is found?

A discrepancy does not automatically mean that the candidate has failed screening.

Dates may differ because candidates do not remember the exact day they began a historic role. Employers may hold incomplete records, trading names may have changed and references may describe roles differently.

The organisation should consider:

• whether the difference is material
• whether it appears accidental or deliberate
• whether the candidate has provided a reasonable explanation
• whether alternative evidence is available
• whether the information creates a genuine risk in the proposed role

Significant concerns, false information or unresolved periods may require further investigation and a formal risk decision.

The final decision about whether to employ or deploy the individual remains with the employer.

Who is responsible when BS 7858 screening is outsourced?

A specialist provider can manage much of the collection, verification and reporting process, but outsourcing the activity does not remove the employer’s responsibility for compliance.

The SIA makes clear that approved contractors remain responsible for ensuring their screening conforms to BS 7858. It also notes that some parts of the process cannot be transferred entirely to a screening provider.

Employers should therefore establish:

• which parts of the process the provider will complete
• which decisions and actions remain with the employer
• how discrepancies and incomplete results will be escalated
• how provisional employment will be controlled
• who will make and record risk decisions
• how screening records will be retained and protected
• how conformity with the standard will be demonstrated during an audit

The contract with the screening provider should clearly define these responsibilities.

How should BS 7858 screening data be handled?

BS 7858 screening involves identity, employment, financial and criminal-record information. Some of this is particularly sensitive and must be handled securely.

Organisations should comply with UK data protection law by ensuring that:

• there is an appropriate lawful basis for processing
• candidates receive clear privacy information
• only necessary and proportionate data is collected
• access is limited to authorised people
• information is protected against loss or unauthorised disclosure
• records are retained for an appropriate and documented period
• information is disposed of securely when no longer required

The standard contains record-keeping and retention recommendations, including retaining specified screening records after employment ends. These requirements should be reflected in the organisation’s retention schedule and reconciled with its wider obligations under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Employers should avoid copying a generic retention period into policy without first confirming exactly which records it covers and whether another legal, regulatory or contractual requirement applies.

BS 7858 and BPSS: what is the difference?

BS 7858 and the Baseline Personnel Security Standard, or BPSS, are sometimes confused, but they serve different purposes.

BS 7858 is a British Standard for screening people working in secure environments. It is widely associated with the private security industry and other security-sensitive commercial roles.

BPSS is the UK Government’s baseline personnel security control for civil servants, members of the armed forces, temporary staff and government contractors who have access to government assets. It also underpins national security vetting.

There is overlap in areas such as identity, Right to Work, employment history and criminal record checking. However, one should not automatically be described as a substitute for the other.

The appropriate standard should be determined by the organisation, role, contract and environment.

Why does effective BS 7858 screening matter?

People can present a significant security risk when they have trusted access to an organisation’s systems, premises, information or assets.

Consistent screening can help an organisation to:

• confirm that candidates are who they claim to be
• verify relevant employment and activity history
• identify material discrepancies
• support contractual and accreditation requirements
• assess risks before granting trusted access
• demonstrate a controlled and auditable recruitment process
• protect people, customers, information, property and reputation

Screening should form part of a wider personnel security approach. It works most effectively alongside appropriate supervision, access controls, security awareness, ongoing risk management and processes for reviewing people when their responsibilities change.

BS 7858 screening with Security Watchdog

Security Watchdog helps organisations manage BS 7858 screening through a combination of specialist expertise, secure technology and clearly defined screening processes.

We can support the collection and verification of candidate information, manage complex histories and provide clear results to help employers make informed decisions.

The employer retains responsibility for determining the appropriate screening scope, managing any provisional employment and making the final recruitment or risk decision.

Speak to our screening experts about building a BS 7858 process suited to your workforce, contracts and security environment.

Important information

This article provides general information about BS 7858 screening and reflects the current published edition of the standard, publicly available regulatory guidance and screening practice at the time of review.

The full requirements of BS 7858 are contained in the official standard published by the British Standards Institution. This article is not a substitute for purchasing, reading and applying that standard.

Screening requirements may vary according to the organisation, role, sector, contract and individual circumstances. British Standards, legislation, accreditation requirements and guidance issued by bodies including BSI, the Security Industry Authority, the Disclosure and Barring Service and the Home Office may change after publication.

This content does not constitute legal advice, certification or confirmation that a particular screening process conforms to BS 7858. Organisations should obtain the current standard and seek specialist or legal advice where appropriate.

Last reviewed: July 2026