BS 10119 Certification: What UK Businesses Need to Know

BS 10119 Certification Guide for Security and Events Labour Providers

For businesses that supply security officers, event staff or other workers to the security and events sectors, clear controls over labour provision are increasingly important. BS 10119 provides a recognised framework for managing these arrangements.

BS 10119:2026 is the current British Standard for the provision of labour to the security and events sectors. Published on 30 June 2026, it gives certifiable best-practice recommendations for organisations providing additional or bought-in labour.

For UK security companies and labour providers, understanding the standard can help them strengthen their systems and demonstrate to clients that labour-supply arrangements are managed in a controlled and responsible way.

What Is BS 10119 Certification

BS 10119:2026 is titled “Provision of labour to the security and events sectors - Code of practice.” It provides recognised good-practice recommendations for organisations involved in supplying labour to these sectors.

The standard addresses how additional labour is managed and supplied to support security or event operations. Public information from BSI highlights areas including organisational responsibilities, recruitment, screening, training, personal protective equipment, employment documentation and records.

Certification is a separate, independent assessment of whether an organisation conforms to the applicable certification criteria for the standard. A business considering certification should confirm the scheme, scope, transition arrangements and accreditation status directly with its chosen certification body.

It is useful to separate two things:

• BS 10119: the British Standard and code of practice.
• BS 10119 certification: independent certification demonstrating that an organisation has been assessed against the standard and the applicable scheme criteria.

Who May Benefit From BS 10119 Certification

BS 10119 is particularly relevant to organisations that supply labour to contractors operating in the security and events sectors.

This may include organisations providing:

• Security guarding personnel
• Event security staff
• Event stewards
• Crowd management personnel
• Supplementary security workers
• Other labour supporting security or event operations

Certification is not presented here as a universal legal requirement. However, customers, contracts, procurement frameworks or certification schemes may require or prefer evidence that suitable controls are in place.

A business should therefore consider the standard alongside its legal duties and the specific requirements of its clients, contracts and certification body.

What Does BS 10119 Cover

BS 10119 focuses on the systems used to recruit, check, deploy and manage supplied workers.

The exact recommendations should be checked in the licensed copy of the standard. Public information from BSI identifies the following themes.

Recruitment and Screening

The organisation should use controlled processes to recruit and screen workers before deployment. Where applicable, security screening may need to follow BS 7858 or another relevant standard.

SIA Licensing

Where a role involves licensable private-security activity, the organisation must ensure that the worker holds the correct SIA licence. The SIA's public register can be used to check a licence.

Right to Work and Employment Checks

Labour providers must manage applicable right-to-work, employment-status, pay, working-time and record-keeping obligations.

An SIA licence is not proof of a person's current right to work. Employers must carry out the appropriate right-to-work check separately and retain the required evidence.

Training Competence and PPE

Workers should be appropriately trained, competent and equipped for the roles they are supplied to perform, including suitable personal protective equipment where required.

Records and Ongoing Management

The organisation should retain evidence of checks, decisions, training, deployment and ongoing personnel management. Records should show not only that procedures exist but also that they are followed consistently.

Why Is BS 10119 Important for Security Businesses

Security companies often need additional labour during large events, busy periods, contract mobilisation or unexpected demand. Flexible labour can help meet these needs, but it also creates operational, legal and reputational risks.

Weak controls can lead to problems involving:

• Worker screening
• SIA licensing
• Right-to-work and employment status
• Pay and working-time arrangements
• Training and competence
• Records and responsibilities
• Communication and ongoing personnel management

BS 10119 provides a structured approach to these areas and may give buyers greater confidence in a provider's labour-supply processes. It does not replace SIA licensing, employment law, immigration requirements, data-protection duties or other applicable legislation.

How Is BS 10119 Related to NCP 119 and COP 119

BS 10119 was developed from foundations established by the National Security Inspectorate's NCP 119 Code of Practice. The term COP 119 has also been used in the market by some certification providers for labour-provision certification arrangements.

Because earlier schemes and certificates may use different terminology, organisations should not assume that an existing NCP 119 or COP 119 certificate automatically becomes BS 10119 certification. They should ask their certification body about the applicable transition process, audit criteria and timescale.

What Should a Business Do Before Applying for Certification

Preparation should begin with a gap assessment comparing current labour-provision processes with the standard and the certification body's scheme requirements.

Review the following areas:

• Recruitment - Are workers recruited through a clear and controlled process?
• Screening - Are applicable checks completed, reviewed and recorded?
• SIA licensing - Are licences required for each role checked and monitored?
• Right to work - Are separate statutory checks completed and retained correctly?
• Training and competence - Can the business demonstrate that workers are prepared for their roles?
• Employment records - Are contracts, status decisions, pay records and supporting documents maintained?
• Responsibilities - Is ownership clear at every stage of the process?
• Worker management - Are performance, conduct and changes in status monitored after deployment?
• Corrective action - Are problems recorded, investigated and resolved?
• Evidence - Can the organisation demonstrate that its procedures work in practice?

The organisation should obtain a licensed copy of BS 10119 and confirm the certification process with the selected certification body rather than relying on summaries alone.

How Long Does BS 10119 Certification Take

There is no single timeframe for every business. The preparation and assessment period will depend on the organisation's size, workforce, number of sites, existing controls, quality of records and readiness for audit.

A certification body can explain its application, assessment, corrective-action and decision-making stages. Businesses should avoid advertising themselves as certified until certification has been formally granted for the relevant scope.

What Are the Potential Benefits of BS 10119 Certification

Depending on the organisation and its market, potential benefits may include:

• A structured approach to labour management
• Stronger recruitment and screening controls
• Clearer records and responsibilities
• Greater confidence for customers and contractors
• More consistent business processes
• Better visibility of supply-chain risks
• Independent evidence of conformity with a recognised British Standard

These benefits depend on the controls being used in practice. Certification should support ongoing improvement rather than being treated only as a badge for marketing purposes.

How Professional BS 10119 Consultancy Can Help

A consultant can help an organisation understand its current position, identify gaps and develop practical processes and evidence before an independent certification assessment. Support may include:

• Reviewing existing policies and records
• Carrying out a gap assessment
• Improving recruitment, screening and worker-management processes
• Clarifying responsibilities
• Supporting document development
• Preparing staff for the certification assessment
• Helping the organisation address identified gaps

Tritact Consulting states that it provides BS 10119 consultancy support for labour providers, staffing agencies and security companies. The scope of support should be agreed for each client's operations and certification goals.

A consultancy does not issue the certificate. Certification must be carried out independently by a certification body. The organisation should also preserve its own responsibility for legal compliance and operational decisions.

Preparing for BS 10119 Certification

BS 10119:2026 gives security and events labour providers a recognised framework for managing the people and processes behind labour supply.

Businesses moving from NCP 119, COP 119 or another arrangement should use the transition as an opportunity to review their systems and should confirm the required next steps with their certification body.

New applicants should focus on clear procedures, reliable records and consistent implementation. If your organisation needs help understanding the standard or preparing for independent assessment, contact Tritact Consulting to discuss the appropriate scope of support.