Why accreditations matter
When you choose a company to install or maintain your fire alarm, CCTV, intruder alarm or access control, you’re trusting them with the safety of your people, your property and your data. Most clients can’t check the wiring behind a ceiling tile. What they can check is whether the company has been independently audited against recognised standards.
That’s what accreditations are. They aren’t badges we award ourselves: each one means an independent body has examined how we work, and keeps coming back to check we still do.
At Spectrum Fire & Security, we hold seven. Here’s what each one is, and what it means for you in practice.
Our accreditations, explained
SSAIB: independently certified security installations
What it is: SSAIB is a UKAS-accredited certification body for companies that install and maintain security and fire systems. Certified companies are audited regularly on their technical standards, their paperwork and the quality of their installations.
What it means for you: if you want police response to your intruder alarm, the system generally has to be installed and maintained by a company certified by a body like SSAIB. Many insurers ask for the same. With us, you get a certificate of compliance for your system, so you can show your insurer, auditor or landlord exactly what’s been installed and to which standard.
FIA: part of the UK fire safety industry
What it is: the Fire Industry Association is the UK’s largest trade association for fire protection companies. It works with government and standards bodies on fire safety, and supports members with technical guidance and training.
What it means for you: our fire team keeps up to date with changing standards and regulations, such as updates to BS 5839, so your fire alarm is designed, installed and maintained to current best practice.
ISO 9001: quality you can rely on
What it is: the international standard for quality management. It requires documented processes, clear responsibilities, and a habit of measuring and improving how we deliver work.
What it means for you: consistency. Every job follows the same process from survey to handover, whichever engineer turns up, with proper records, commissioning and documentation at the end.
ISO 14001: managing our environmental impact
What it is: the international standard for environmental management. It covers how we handle waste, materials, energy and transport.
What it means for you: old equipment, batteries and packaging from your site are disposed of responsibly, and our work supports your own environmental and ESG reporting.
ISO 45001: health and safety built in
What it is: the international standard for occupational health and safety management.
What it means for you: our engineers work to a certified safety system on every site, with proper risk assessments and method statements, trained staff and safe systems of work. That protects your occupants and visitors as well as our team, which matters most in occupied buildings such as schools, hospitals and homes.
SafeContractor: pre-vetted for health and safety
What it is: a health and safety accreditation scheme run by Alcumus, and a member of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) forum. We were recently recertified.
What it means for you: if you’re a main contractor, facilities manager or procurement team, we’ve already been independently vetted on health and safety, insurances and compliance. That saves time at pre-qualification and gives you evidence for your own due diligence.
Cyber Essentials: protecting your data and systems
What it is: a UK government-backed scheme that certifies an organisation has key protections in place against common cyber attacks.
What it means for you: modern CCTV, access control and alarm systems are connected to networks and the internet. Cyber Essentials shows we take cyber security seriously in our own business, and we bring the same approach to the systems we install for you: secure configurations, strong passwords and up-to-date firmware.
How to check any contractor’s credentials
A logo on a website is easy to copy. Whoever you’re thinking of using, these quick checks are worth doing:
- Ask for the certificates. A genuine accredited company will send them straight away, with current expiry dates.
- Check the certification body’s directory. SSAIB and the ISO certification bodies list the companies they certify, so you can confirm a company is on there.
- Ask for a certificate of compliance for any intruder alarm or fire alarm installed or serviced. If one isn’t offered, ask why.
- Check the insurances match the size and type of work you’re asking for.
We’re always happy to share our certificates, insurances and policies. Just ask.
Talk to us
Whether you’re a main contractor building a supply chain, a school or housing provider reviewing your fire and security, or a business planning an upgrade, our accredited team can help, from consultancy and design through installation, integration and maintenance.
