DHF's Michael Skelding, asks 'Is your front door secure against burglary?'

Your front door is your home’s first line of defence against intruders, but is it really secure?

To truly protect your home, your door needs to meet certain security standards.  The most widely used standard for security of external doors in dwellings in the UK is BSI’s PAS 24, which focuses on enhance security performance.  It is important that testing has been conducted by a suitable laboratory; this can be guaranteed by certification from a UKAS-accredited certification body, i.e., the BSI Kitemark, LPCB (the Loss Prevention Certification Board), Certisecure (Element Materials Technology), and UL Solutions.    

PAS 24 and similar standards are designed to test a door’s resistance to attack by an “opportunist” burglar who will resist making noise in residential areas and will generally not carry specialist tools.  If the risk is greater than this, for example in commercial premises where cash is kept, higher standards are available from the certification bodies mentioned above.

Security standards are continually updated to keep pace with the latest threats.  Committees, which include experts and representatives from organisations like the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) and the police, work together to develop these standards.  This on-going effort ensures that your door is tested against realistic threats and remains an effective barrier against intruders.

There are also standards for locks and other items of security hardware.  It may be possible to upgrade an existing door by fitting new locks, but the door is only as good as its weakest point, which may include the glazing in and around the door, the letterplate, or panel vulnerable to being sliced with a knife.  If the lock needs replacing, standards include BS 3621 (plus Kitemark) for single-point locks, and TS 007 3-star (Kitemarked) for replacement cylinders.  The Master Locksmiths Association offers a range of relevant certifications through the Sold Secure brand.

Comprehensive guidance is available from Secured by Design, the official police security initiative: https://www.securedbydesign.com/

DHF remains committed to developing and maintaining domestic security standards to be used as the basis of third-party product certification schemes.  Current standards include TS 007-1, TS 007-2, TS 008 and TS 621.

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