Security at the highest level: With a certification of your alarm receiving center according to DIN EN 50518
In an emergency situation, just a few seconds are decisive: operators of alarm receiving centers (ARC) must therefore ensure that alarm signals are reliably received, monitored and processed quickly at any time (24/7).
With the certification based on the TÜVIT criteria catalogue TSA.EN50518, you can objectively demonstrate that you are effectively implementing the technical, operational and organizational measurements for alarm receiving centers as required in the European standard EN 50518.
TÜVIT has been accredited by the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) since 2015 for the certification of alarm receiving centers (ARC) according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.
Our services for designers, constructers & operators of alarm receiving centers
Your advantages at a glance
- Confidence and security in the design of a new alarm receiving center
- Competitive advantages through a proof of trust: The certificate proofs particularly extensive and systematic security measures
- Proof of trust in monitoring institutions and insurance companies and proof of internal auditing
- Positive risk assessment by insurance companies
The evaluation and certification basis: TSA.EN50518
The basis for a conformity and design assessment as well as for the certification itself is TÜVIT's own criteria catalogue TSA.EN50518. With this catalogue, we provide you with an effective and mature tool to effectively ensure the physical security and reliability of your ARC. Since the TSA.EN50518 criteria catalogue is continuously developed, you also prove that your ARC represents the state-of-the-art.
TÜVIT's own set of rules includes all the requirements of EN 50518, but supplements them with additional useful features that contribute to functional reliability at the level of categories 1 and 2. Version 2.0 of 01 April 2020 already takes into account the requirements of EN 50518, which were revised in 2019, and translates them into assessable criteria and thus makes them certifiable.
TSA is the short form for "Trusted Site Alarm Receiving Center" and is a synonym for an established procedure that TÜVIT has been successfully applying in the data center environment for 20 years with the successful TSI certification.
The evaluation areas of the TSA.EN50518 criteria catalog:
- ENV | Environment
- CON | Building Construction
- SEC | Security Systems
- POW | Power Supply
- ORG | Organization
Why perform an evaluation & certification according to the EN 50518?
As the first point in the alarm chain where alarms and messages accumulate, the alarm receiving centers (ARC) has a decisive function. It is therefore important that it monitors, receives and processes alarm signals and messages reliably and quickly at all times.
With a certification according to TSA.EN50518, you can ensure a high level of reliability of your ARC and guarantee the protection of people and equipment by maximizing functional reliability. Our TSA.EN50518 criteria catalogue covers all requirements of the European standard EN 50518, both for category I and for category II of alarm receiving centers. These include local or constructional requirements, for example for external walls, floors or ceilings, as well as technical and operational specifications.
With an EN 50518 certification, you can therefore objectively prove that you have implemented the minimum requirements for the installation and operation of an alarm receiving centers. In addition, our catalogue of criteria contains further criteria that go beyond EN 50518 and are useful for safe operation. You therefore take particularly extensive and systematic safety measures that protect your ARC in the best possible way and at the same time lead to increased confidence in the market.
Frequently asked questions:
Criteria aspect environment:
- Risk assessment
- Environmental analysis
Criteria aspect construction:
- Construction requirements against attacks of mechanical means
- Construction requirements against attacks with firearms
- Construction requirements against fire
- Construction requirements against lightning
- Social facilities
- Openings
- Entrance Lobby
- Locking devices for entrance lobby
- Emergency exit
- Visual protection inside the ARC
- Ventilation
- Service inlets and outlets
- Transfer hatches / chutes
- Location of data processing equipment
- Locations of power supply
Criteria aspect security systems:
- Intrusion detection system
- Fire alarm system
- Door/window opening detection system
- Gas detection system
- Securing the communication connections
- Hold-up devices
- Safety monitoring of personnel
- Messages from the ARC alarm systems
- Access and video surveillance
Criteria aspect power supply:
- Main supply
- Standby power supply
- UPS
- Standby generator
Criteria aspect organization:
- Requirements for the alarm management system
- Operating procedures of the ARC
- Contingency plan and evacuation procedures
- Requirements for the ARC management
- Evaluation specifications and fault clearance
- Staffing
- Personnel requirements
- Conformity audits
The criteria catalogue TSA.EN50518, like DIN EN 50518, is directed at designers, constructers and operators of alarm receiving centers.
The certificate issued is valid for 12 months.
A category I alarm receiving centers is designed, constructed and operated to a higher standard of construction, safety and integrity than a category II alarm receiving center.
Category I alarm receiving centers include:
- Intrusion detection systems
- Hold-up devices
- Access control systems
- Video surveillance systems for security applications requiring emergency intervention (e.g. loss prevention)
- Equipment for personal monitoring, tracking of sole workers and object tracking systems for security applications
- Alarms, which were previously handled by ARC category II
- Combinations of the above mentioned systems
Alarm receiving centers belong to category II:
- Fire alarm systems
- Permanently installed fire extinguishing systems
- Social alarm devices
- Audio/video home communication systems
- Video surveillance system for non-safety relevant applications (e.g. traffic flow)
- Installations for personnel monitoring, tracking of single workers and object tracking systems for non-safety relevant applications
- Lift emergency call systems
- Combinations of the above mentioned systems
Following the procedures of the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS), we have introduced a procedure that allows you to extend your existing certificate by 6 months. The basis for this is a two-stage process:
Stage 1:
a) Your documents will be reviewed as usual and changes to your data center operations will be evaluated.
b) A checklist is worked through with you via a WEB conference (remote audit). You may have to provide us with current pictures/recordings with your mobile phone.
c) The results of the document examination and the checklist are evaluated by the certification body and if the decision is positive, your certificate will automatically be extended by 6 months. This interim certificate is made available to you electronically.
Stage 2:
a) The on-site audit shall be completed and the audit report drawn up no later than 6 months later.
b) The audit report is the basis for the reissue of the certificate. This certificate is then provided in paper form and is valid for another 6 months.
The interim solution of the 2-stage procedure is carried out at no additional cost for you.
You have questions? We are pleased to help!
Tel.: +49 201 8999-584
Fax: +49 201 8999-555
j.faulhaber@tuvit.de