Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 34 THE door industry journal winter 2022 Industry News Safety and Security: A Match Made in Heaven Mark Swanborough, Engineering Leader, UL Solutions Judging by the current marketing of doors and windows in the UK, a lot of interest exists in different types of testing and thirdparty certification that go well beyond the basic requirements of the Building Regulations. Let’s look at the security aspect – the original focus of Secured by Design (SBD). SBD’s product accreditation scheme provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime. According to Crimestoppers, someone burgles a home every 40 seconds in the UK. The Office for National Statistics reports that, in incidents of domestic burglary where the offender entered the dwelling, the offender gained entry through a door about 70% of the time and a window about 30% of the time. SBD first set out to tackle these problems in the 1990s, and today many hundreds of companies produce thousands of attack-resistant crime prevention products which have achieved SBD’s police-preferred specification. Windows and doors complying with SBD specifications form part of the front line of defence against unlawful entry. SBD does not do any product testing itself. Instead, this is carried out by a handful of organisations, including UL Solutions which is recognised by SBD as a certification body and also has SBDrecognised testing laboratories. The testing process we apply is rigorous. The objective is to protect properties against the threat of opportunistic criminals, so the wellestablished PAS 24 security standard is designed to ensure that products are resistant to the specific break-in methods commonly used by casual thieves and burglars in the UK. It applies to both doors and windows. Manufacturers submit products for PAS 24 testing, which involves various attack methods on the door or window. Other stages of the testing involve applying a sequence of loading tests as well as the assessor being challenged to remove certain components of the door or window. The hardware is also tested for resistance to manual attack. But Secured by Design accreditation also looks beyond just the products themselves, and this is where the vital third-party certification element comes into the equation. UL’s approach to PAS 24 and the relevant fit-for-purpose standards is not just about mechanical and manual checks on the product but also the scrutiny of the factory and manufacturing processes. If all is well, UL Solutions will issue a certificate to the manufacturer, allowing it to promote its products as ‘certificated’ to PAS 24. There is an ongoing annual audit to confirm that the product continues to meet the PAS 24 requirements. It’s proof that the PAS 24 compliance was not a one-off. From dual certification to multi certification In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, awareness has also risen that, in some cases, enhanced security features added to doors can directly impact their fire safety, particularly the performance of flat entrance doors.
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