Health, safety and security
ISO 18788:2015
Management system for private security operations
ISO 18788 sets out requirements for a management system for private security operations.
It gives organisations that conduct or contract security operations a framework for working professionally and lawfully: assessing risks to clients, personnel and local communities, controlling the use of force and weapons, respecting human rights, and being accountable for what their personnel do.
Who it suits
Private security companies, particularly those providing guarding, close protection or escort services in complex or high-risk environments, and the organisations that contract them, such as extractive, construction and energy companies, humanitarian and development organisations, and public bodies. Clients may ask for it when they need assurance that a provider manages human rights and use-of-force risks.
What certification involves
ISAO, or a certification body accredited for ISO 18788, audits the system in two stages: first the scope, the risk assessment, the legal and human rights commitments and readiness; then how the system operates, which can include visits to the places where services are delivered. Auditors look at how personnel are selected, screened and trained, how weapons and the use of force are authorised and controlled, and how incidents, complaints and grievances are reported and investigated. The certificate states the services and locations covered. Certificates are normally valid for three years, with surveillance audits at least once a year and a recertification audit before expiry. ISAO carries out this certification itself, and also accredits certification bodies to do it. Every certificate ISAO issues, and every certificate issued under ISAO accreditation, is recorded on the public register.
Key themes
- Respect for human rights and compliance with applicable law, including humanitarian law where it applies
- Risk assessment covering clients, personnel, the public and local communities
- Rules on the use of force, and control of weapons and hazardous materials
- Selection, screening, training and welfare of personnel
- Codes of conduct, complaint and grievance procedures and a whistle-blowing policy
- Incident management and investigation
- Control of subcontractors, and relations with clients and authorities
Edition
- Current edition
- ISO 18788:2015
ISO 18788:2015 is the first edition, published in September 2015. It draws on the Montreux Document, the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. An amendment published in February 2024 asks the organisation to consider whether climate change matters to it when it reviews its context, and adds a note that interested parties may have expectations about climate change. ISO 18788:2015 is the current edition.
Check a certificate for ISO 18788:2015
- Enter the certificate number or verification code at Verify a certificate, or scan the QR code on the certificate. The record shows the certificate's status today, for example valid, suspended, withdrawn or expired.
- Compare the organisation name, scope and sites on the record with the copy you were given. Check that the services and the countries or locations you need are within the stated scope.
- Check who issued the certificate, as named on the record. Where a certification body accredited by ISAO issued it, the record shows the status of that accreditation and its accreditation number, and says so if the accreditation did not cover ISO 18788:2015 when the certificate was issued.
- If the certificate is not on the register, ISAO cannot confirm it: it may have been issued under another accreditation, or a detail may be wrong. Ask the issuing body, and report a concern if something does not look right.
Related standards
This is ISAO’s own summary, not the text of the standard. Copies of ISO 18788:2015 can be bought from ISO or from national standards bodies.