All Topwood’s staff who come into contact with sensitive material are security vetted to BS7858. This level of vetting meets the requirements of shredding standard EN15713 and complies with the HM Government Cabinet Office 2014 guidelines for Personnel Security Controls. Security vetting is completed on all staff prior to their engagement.

All Topwood’s staff wear a liveried uniform and carry personal identification when on-site shredding and collecting data for off-site shredding or storage. The photos on their ID cards are also published on our meet the team webpage. Customers can verify our staff are security vetted by requesting copies of employee’s BS7858 vetting certificates.

The vetting process is the most comprehensive and includes identity checks, follow-ups on employment and education references as well as criminal and credit reference checks. This vetting includes full DBS (formerly CRB) checks as well as background medical and financial searches.

This developed vetting is done prior to employment so you can be 100% assured that your information security will not be compromised by our staff handling documents and data on your behalf.

In addition, all employees sign a confidentiality agreement prior to any engagement with Topwood to ensure they do not disclose any sensitive information during (or after) their employment with Topwood.

Topwood’s information security ISO27001:2013 accreditation incorporates a guarantee that we comply fully with BS7858. Whilst pre-employment checks can verify a person’s history it does not guarantee future actions. Our culture is for continuous training, motivation and to reward staff so that keeping information safe is their number one priority