A step-by-step guide to BS7858:2019 security screening for UK guarding firms — consent, 5-year history, references, Right to Work, DBS and rescreening.
Category: Compliance · Published: 2026-06-14
BS7858 is the British Standard for security screening of people working in environments where the safety of others, goods or property is at stake. For SIA-licensed guarding firms it's often a contractual must-have. This guide walks through the full BS7858:2019 process step by step.
BS7858:2019 sets out how to screen individuals before they're deployed into security roles. It establishes identity, the right to work in the UK, and a verified picture of someone's employment and education history.
Many end clients — particularly in corporate, data-centre, retail and critical-infrastructure security — require their guarding contractor to screen every officer to BS7858. Failing to evidence it can cost you the contract.
At the heart of BS7858 is a continuous, verifiable five-year history with no unexplained gaps. Every period of employment, education, self-employment or unemployment must be accounted for and, where possible, confirmed.
Gaps longer than 31 days typically need a documented explanation and, ideally, supporting evidence.
The process moves through a clear sequence of stages:
References are the most common bottleneck. Referees are slow, and a single outstanding reference can hold up a deployment for weeks.
Sending referees secure online forms and tracking which are outstanding dramatically shortens time-to-deploy.
BS7858 isn't a one-off. Screening should be refreshed on a five-year cycle, and you should track SIA licence expiries alongside it so nobody is deployed on a lapsed licence.
BS7858 itself is a standard, not a law, but it's frequently a contractual requirement from clients and a component of ACS accreditation. Right to Work checks, by contrast, are a legal obligation.
It varies, but references and DBS turnaround are the main variables. Chasing references promptly can cut the timeline from weeks to days.
Gaps need a documented explanation. Short gaps are usually fine with a note; longer gaps may require supporting evidence before sign-off.
Best practice is a five-year rescreening cycle, with licence and certificate expiries tracked continuously in between.
Pulcify turns the checks described above into an automated workflow: licence and vetting status tracked per operative, expiry alerts before anything lapses, and audit-ready evidence packs generated on demand.
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