If you’re looking to invest in security rated doors or grilles for your business premises, it’s important that you’re aware of the relevant industry standards so you may purchase the equipment that best suits your needs. This will ensure you’re not overpaying for an unnecessary level of security, and you will be able to keep personnel safe and assets secure at all times.
To help make sense of the relevant ratings and standards so you can get the ideal security or fire equipment for your needs, we’ve put together this helpful guide.
The Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) has been working with industry and government for more than 100 years to set the standards needed to ensure that fire and security products and services perform effectively. If you’re buying security doors or grilles, you should make sure that they meet the LPCB standard required to suit the level of risk a property faces or the value of assets within the property. If you store valuable assets or confidential information on your business premises, then investing in LPCB certified security equipment will go a long way to ensuring their safety.
The LPCB’s Loss Prevention Standard (LPS) 1175 certification is heralded as the security standard of choice for the protection of government-associated national infrastructure in the UK, as well as being well recognised in the Middle East as a more stringent alternative to European standards. LPS testing has been formulated by the LPCB with input from the UK government, insurers, and police forces. Invest in a security door or window grille that meets these standards and your business premises will receive a trusted third-party certified level of protection.
Intruder-resistant products are categorised under LPS 1175, which has eight different ratings. The higher the rating, the more protection the piece of security equipment will provide. To get the ideal solution to your business’s security requirements, make sure you consider the threats your business premises is likely to face and choose the equipment that suits your particular needs.
To help you understand the certifications available, and to get the right security equipment for your requirements, here’s a breakdown of the LPCB LPS 1175: Issue 7 security ratings.
SR1 is the lowest level of security recognised by the LPCB. To meet this standard, products must be able to withstand opportunistic attempts at forced entry using minimal tools. The tester can use tools listed under tool category A to attempt to force entry for a total attack time of up to a minute, over a period of 5 minutes.
SR2 testing simulates a more determined opportunistic attack. To reach this standard, a piece of security equipment must withstand a 3-minute attack from an assailant equipped with items from tool category B in the LPS 1175 testing manual — this includes claw hammers, hand drills, and junior hacksaws.
SR1 and SR2 certified security equipment is ideal for any business that stores items totalling a few thousand pounds, and is located in a densely populated area where someone is likely to be alerted to the sound of an opportunistic thief attempting to gain entry to the property. This makes it a great option for office buildings and small shops.
If this level of security sounds ideal for your business, take a look at our CX2 security grilles for SR1 protection. Our M2M2 security doors, Vulcan grilles, and Spartan2 bar sets are all certified to LPS 1175 SR2.
In order to pass the stringent SR3 testing procedures, a door or grille must be able to endure an attack lasting 5 minutes, from an assailant armed with the typical equipment a thief who’s specifically targeted your premises may come equipped with. This includes larger hand tools, such as crowbars, hacksaws, and hammers, as well as items such as cordless drills and gas torches.
If your business is liable to be targeted by thieves, SR3 certified external security features will go a long way to ensuring that any attempts to enter your property are thwarted. If this sounds like the right level of protection for your business, take a look at our M2M3 security doors, Eclipse grilles, and Spartan3 bar sets.
Items certified to SR4 and SR5 can resist attempts at forced entry from an experienced assailant for a duration of 10 minutes. During the SR4 test, the engineer attempting to breach the equipment has access to tool category D, which represents the kinds of equipment an experienced and prepared thief is likely to use. This includes cordless disc grinders, drills, and jigsaws, alongside manual tools such as sledgehammers and plate sheers. SR5 also includes the tools from tool category D+, which includes items such as a circular and reciprocating saws, and a cordless disc grinder.
To protect your business from all but the most intense of attacks, invest in our M2M4 security doors. These have never been breached, are often used for the protection of critical national infrastructure, government buildings, and other high-risk establishments. They offer protection for premises that require all but the most intense physical security options.
Products rated SR6, SR7 or SR8 offer the ultimate protection against would-be intruders. The tests include repeated entry attempts made using a range of mains-powered tools in order to replicate professional attempts at entry from highly qualified assailants. These tools include circular saws, disc grinders, and drills.
To pass SR6, the equipment needs to endure 10 minutes of attack from an assailant armed with weapons from tool category E, which includes 1,100W circular saws and disc grinders amongst other mains-powered tools. The SR7 test also includes 10 minutes of assault over a 30-minute test period, but the tester has access to equipment from tool category F. This includes mains-powered saws and grinders exceeding 2,000W and an oxyacetylene “Saffire Portapak” cutting kit.
To pass the highest rating, SR8, a piece of security equipment must withstand twenty minutes of assault from an expert equipped with items from tool category G, which includes concrete chainsaws, hydraulic jacks, pneumatic impact tools, and 2000W drills fitted with diamond-core drill bits.
It should be noted that no manufacturer has yet developed a product that meets the testing criteria for SR7 or SR8, and these standards exist primarily as something for engineers to aim for. For example, the Ministry of Defence is satisfied with the security offered by SR4, and it’s very rare that manufacturers get a request for anything higher than this.
The LPCB’s Loss Prevention Standard (LPS) 2081 evaluates the resistance to unauthorised access by various physical security products when targeted by intruders using stealth. The standard specifies two grades of security, Security Rating A and B, according to the tools and time likely to be used by an intruder in situations where they will wish to avoid making significant noise.
Security Rating A (SRA) is the lower of the two grades. Testing for this accreditation simulates an opportunist attack by a combination of physical bodily force and stealth using minimal tools that are easily concealed about the person. The tools used in testing include a cable cutter, glass cutter, hexagon wrenches, a screwdriver, and a lever.
Security Rating B (SRB) is the highest grade available for this standard. Testing for this accreditation also simulates opportunist attack, but tools used have a greater mechanical advantage. The tools used in testing include a bolt cutter, claw hammer, hand drill, junior hacksaw, and a pipe wrench. Our ClassicAL aluminium communal door has achieved LPS 2081 SRB accreditation.
The LPCB’s PAS 24 accreditation considers resistance to opportunist criminals who wish to gain entry by stealth and without making noise that might attract attention. Products approved to PAS 24 are therefore best suited to domestic properties, and other properties with either 24/7 occupancy or high volumes of personnel passing near the door/window concerned.
PAS 24 accredited windows and doors are tested using the forces typically applied by an intruder using implements such as a crow bar or screwdriver. All hardware and potential access points on the window or door are tested in an attempt to open or create an aperture. Our Classic2 steel communal doors has achieved PAS 24 accreditation.
Secured by Design is an initiative run by the police that recognises security products and construction materials that are helping to ‘design out crime’. It works with manufacturers to create the highest possible security standards that respond to the latest trends in crime.
A company is awarded Secured by Design status when it produces security products that demonstrate their effectiveness in preventing or reducing crime. Purchase your security products from a Secured by Design recognised manufacturer such as ourselves, and you can be sure of their quality.
Find out more about Secured by Design on the official website.
To be awarded Secured by Design’s ‘Police Preferred Specification’ status, products must be manufactured by an approved company. They must also meet certain criteria, and must have achieved some form of recognised third party security accreditation, such as LPS 1175, PAS 24, or LPS 2081. The standards and related tests must demonstrate the product effectiveness in preventing or reducing crime, usually by resistance to physical attack.
Look out for these certifications on all of the security products you invest in, and you can rest assured you’re getting the right level of protection for your business. If you have any further questions, contact us today to talk to one of our experts about your security and fireproofing needs, and we’ll be able to advise the ideal solution for your business.
