The EN Standard 17483-2 - "Private Security Services - Critical Infrastructure Protection - Aviation Security"
Standardization is increasingly being used to support the development of the single market for services. The intention behind standardization in private security services is to set clear and common quality criteria for services providers, so that buyers know what to look for when purchasing such services.
EN Standard 17483-1 (Private Security Services - Critical Infrastructure Protection - General Requirements) and EN 17483-2 specify requirements for quality in organization, processes, personnel and management of a civil aviation security services provider and/or its independent branches and establishments under commercial law.
The CEN project was initiated by the private security services sector (CoESS and ASSA-i) as an important investment in and promotion of high-quality airport and aviation security services.
Together, the standards lays down quality criteria for the delivery of civil aviation security services requested by public and private clients or buyers. This European Standard is suitable for the selection, attribution, awarding and reviewing of the most suitable provider of civil aviation security services.
Advantages for the users of the standard:
The standards guarantee that security services providers comply with the highest possible set of rules and standards. Common standards related to quality for the described private security services will contribute to decrease the number of clients not willing to go for the highest quality criteria and selecting a provider on the basis of price solely rather than on an efficient and effective combination of price into relation with quality. The existing competition within the private security services sector encourages some providers to cut their prices to the detriment of the quality of their services, despite the fact that quality, especially in civil aviation, is recognized as an important and necessary element.
The standards are also designed to guide customers through key quality criteria when selecting a services provider. It helps them distinguish between the requirements of different sites and private security tasks and it enables the contracting parties to issue clear and detailed specifications of the requirements imposed on prospective tenderers, thus generating a higher quality response.
The CEN Standards are also a first step towards a much needed and still non-existent European legal recognition of the quality aspect. CoESS and ASSA-i will highly invest in turning the content of the present voluntary standard into a mandatory standard.
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