Door Industry Journal - Spring 2016

94 THE door industry journal spring 2016 building hardware Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk BRITS NEED TO DO MORE TO PROTECT THEIR HOMES FROM BURGLARS More than half of the UK population are very concerned about their houses being burgled, but Brits are only taking very basic measures to protect their properties, according to new research. 53% of Brits said that they were worried about their homes being broken into, with 47% of these saying it is a regular concern and 6% admitting that they worry about it all of the time. However, when asked what forms of home security they have in place, the majority of home owners admit they only use basic security measures such as locks (87%) and security lights (52%). Burglar alarms are the third most common form of home security (40%) but when it comes to more advanced technology such as CCTV only 16% have this installed. The study of 1,000 people, conducted by IronmongeryDirect, was undertaken to find out Brits’ views on home security and investigate how secure their homes really are. It found that over a third of people (34%) have had their home broken into in the past five years, with 9% having been a victim more than once. And nearly half (43%) knew someone else in their neighbourhood who had been burgled. London has come out as the top spot for burglary as 56% of people living in this area have had their home broken into. Despite these figures, the study found that two-thirds of the population (62%) actually felt safe and secure in their homes, with those living in the North West claiming to feel the safest (93%). The area where people felt least safe was the West Midlands, with just over a quarter of people admitting they felt safe in their homes. Despite the research indicating a somewhat lax approach to home security, perhaps because many people feel safe in their homes, the majority of homeowners (68%) said they would consider installing smart security products such as Smartphone alarms and CCTV. And 62% would be willing to spend more than £100 on home security products. Wayne Lysaght-Mason, managing director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own home, and it’s saddening to hear that so many people are concerned about the threat of burglary. “To ensure a home is secure, it’s really important that property owners take measures to properly protect it, and invest in a range of quality security products to prevent the risk of burglary. There are a number of security solutions that can provide high levels of security and give property owners peace of mind. There is certainly demand from our customers for high security products such as wireless alarm kits that are simple to install, door viewers which make it easier to identify visitors, secure gates and fencing to protect the grounds of the property, windows bars, and CCTV camera systems.” For more information, visit www.IronmongeryDirect.co.uk/home-security NEW SAFETY LOCKING RESTRICTOR FROM ERA THE BEST ON THE MARKET Once again, ERA has gone well beyond minimum standards to develop a universal Safety Locking Restrictor that offers Grade 3 impact resistance. Until now, families wanting to protect their children from open doors and windows have been limited to using standard locking devices, which fall short of the Grade 2 Impact Resistance minimum requirement for Child Safety. With its ‘push to open’ cable lock design, which comes with cut key locking for security, the Safety Locking Restrictor has been ergonomically developed for easy operation. Will Butler, group marketing and innovation director at ERA explains: “We were determined to offer a compliant child resistant locking device for windows and balcony doors in accordance with BS EN 16281:2013. Our Safety Locking Restrictor is ideally suited to homes with families and gives reassurance to parents that their children will be safe around open doors and windows in the home.” Available in White, Brown, Polished Gold and Polished Chrome finishes, the Safety Locking Restrictor is suitable for both domestic and commercial applications and for PVCu, Timber and Aluminium windows and doors up to 2100mm high x 1000mm wide. Also compliant with BS EN 13126-1:2011 Grade 3 impact resistance for building hardware restricted devices on windows and doors, you can confidently recommend ERA’s new Safety Locking Restrictor to homeowners looking for the best protection for their families. The Safety Locking Restrictor is available from a number of nationwide distributors and independent hardware retailers.