CYLINDERS
Security Standards and
Certifications for Cylinders
» WHILE IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR A
locksmith to understand every detail of
every security standard and certification,
it is very important to have a basic
understanding of what each of the
standards covers so that you can better
inform your customers.
The British Standards Institution
(BSI) is the big name in the certification
world and this is also the case in our own
industry. Any product which has been
certified by the BSI will have the
famous British Kitemark logo
branded on it; acting as
a stamp of approval for
customers to see that
they are getting a safe
and reliable product.
Euro cylinders are
covered by the BS EN
1303:2005 certification,
which uses an 8-digit coding
system, each referring to a specific
feature of the testing requirements;
category of use, durability, door mass,
fire resistance, safety, corrosion and
temperature resistance, key related
security and attack resistance.
The BSI standards have been combined
with the TS007 testing to give cylinders
a star rating. The TS007 certification was
developed by the DHF and the Glass
& Glazing Federation with the support
of the BSI. It is easy to recognise what
certification a cylinder has been given by
looking to see how many stars are shown
on the cylinder.
The APECS XS cylinder has been
certified as a one star cylinder and this
means it can withstand bumping, picking
and drilling as well as being able to
endure at least 100,000 cycles. One star
cylinders offer consumers a high security
locking system which protects against
some of the most common methods of
attack.
The APECS AP cylinder takes things to
the next level and is a three star cylinder.
This means it can withstand all of the
same attacks as the one star lock as well as
passing anti-snap testing.
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If you’re looking for
a high security cylinder,
then you always want to
be looking for the three stars
above the British Standard
Kitemark logo that will be visible
on the external side of the cylinder. If
you see this logo, then you know that the
cylinder has passed the highest level of
the TS007 testing.
Although you cannot get a two star
cylinder, the door hardware can still reach
three star standards by combining a one
star cylinder with two star door hardware,
such as a strengthened door handle or
an escutcheon. The combination of these
products means that the door is protected
to a three star level, even if you’re only
using a one star cylinder. This is extremely
useful if a customer is seeking to achieve a
certain level of door security for insurance
purposes and gives a locksmith greater
scope to meet their customers security
needs.
To take things further, cylinders
can also receive a Sold Secure
Grade certification. Sold Secure was
established in 1992 by Northumbria and
Essex police, but it is now owned and
administered by the Master Locksmiths
Association (MLA). The APECS AP
cylinder has received the top level of
certification from Sold Secure and this is
the Diamond Grade (SS312). This means
it has been tested to an even higher level
than the three star TS007 certification.
The Sold Secure testing builds upon the
TS007 testing and is carried out by MLA
approved locksmiths at the Sold Secure
testing centre. During this testing, the
locksmiths can attempt to attack the lock
with a whole range of different tools.
We are extremely proud that our
AP cylinder has achieved the highest
possible levels of certification from both
BSI and Sold Secure, making it one of
the few cylinders available on the UK
market which has achieved both of these
certifications.
Another security initiative is Secured
by Design which is operated by the
Association of Chief Police Officers.
Secured by Design seeks to ensure that
homes and business properties, both
new and refurbished, are built with
a high level of security in mind. This
process involves the entire project,
including the design phase and
inspections of the completed works.
There are a number of Secured by Design
approved locks and cylinders available
on the market and these are regularly
used in these properties. Keep an eye out
for the Secured by Design logo which
can usually be found on the product
packaging.
www.apecs.co.uk
JAN/FEB 2020
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