» THE BS3621 certification is controlled by the British Standards Institution ( BSI ) which was founded almost 120 years ago , in 1901 as the Engineering Standards Committee . BSI set out to ensure that services and products meet the expectations of quality , safety , and reliability and you will have no doubt seen the famous BSI kitemark logo on many products , including many household items such as plugs and fire alarms .

What is BS3621 ?

BS3621 is one of the most important certifications within the lock industry and it covers mortice deadlocks and sash locks , Euro deadlocks , and sash locks , and rim cylinder locks , such as nightlatches and rim locks .

Alongside BS3621 , there are also BS8621 and BS10621 standards which cover slightly different types of locks .

BS8621 - The BS8621 standard covers locks that need a key for entry but not for exit . These locks are often seen in blocks of flats or apartments that use a key on the outside of the door and a thumb turn on the inside . This lock allows emergency escape without the use of a key at all times .

BS10621 - The BS10621 standard covers locks that can only be locked by a key from the outside . The locks can be opened from inside without the use of a

key unless the function has been disabled by the positive use of a key from outside . These locks are best used on properties with another route of escape .

What makes a lock BS3621 certified ?

There are a number of things that locks must have to pass the BS3621 certification and for mortice locks , these are ;

• The lock must have at least 5 levers or pin tumblers

• The screws which fix the lock to the door must not be accessible when the door is shut

• The lock must be covered by a hardened metal plate in order to protect from drilling

• When the door is locked , the bolt must protrude by at least 20mm

• When activating the lock , the bolt must be completely activated before the key can be removed