HARDWARE & SECURITY
Cylinder standards
you need to look for
TS 007 1 and
3 star cylinders
The official title of this standard is
the “Enhanced security performance
requirements for replacement
cylinders and/or associated security
hardware”. In simpler terms, it’s a new
standard that was created to help
solve the issue of lock snapping in the
UK. It was the result of a collaboration
between the Glass and Glazing
Federation, Secured by Design and the
Hardware Federation and, as a result,
the test concerns both the cylinder and
the handle. To meet the requirements
of TS 007, the cylinder must meet
prescribed parts of British Standard
BS3621: 2007 and EN1303:2005 which
includes resistance to attack, key
differs, fire resistance and durability.
Importantly, it must also withstand an
attack when fitted to a door. That’s
the same three minute attack, with
tools, that PAS24 doors must resist.
Within the TS 007 standard, a cylinder
can be awarded either 1 or 3 stars.
The stars will be awarded based on
the features that the cylinder has and
its ability to withstand the attack on
the door. While many 1 star cylinders
feature a sacrificial shear or snap line,
a 1 star cylinder need only feature
resistance to lock bumping (and the
requirements of BS3621:2007 and
EN1303) to qualify. In order to make a 1
star cylinder meet the requirements of
TS 007, it must be fitted with a handle
which has also been tested. Such a
handle will feature protection against
snapping and may be awarded a 2
star rating, so when used with a 1 star
cylinder, the full 3 star standard can
be achieved. Alternatively, a cylinder
on its own can be awarded 3 stars.
To achieve this standard, the cylinder
must resist the same 3 minute attack
without the benefit of a protective,
2 star handle. That means that the
cylinder must feature “snap protection”
to pass the test.
58
Other standards
The BSI Kitemark that features
on most TS 007 cylinders is a
badge of certification from the BSI that
the product meets its exacting standards.
While it is, in theory, possible to have a TS
007 cylinder without a kitemark, the two
go hand in hand.
Secured by Design,
which is the official police
award given to products
which “design out crime”
recognises the TS 007 standard and
may endorse the product with their own
standard.
Sold Secure is owned by the
Master Locksmiths Association
and carries out its own testing
on cylinders. The Sold Secure
standard can grade cylinders
from Bronze to Diamond standards.
TS 007 cylinders should always be
specified on exterior entrance and exit
doors or on internal doors where a high
standard of security is required.
Other considerations
While the TS 007 standard ensures
that doors can resist attack, the
test does not cover key control. If
a key is copied without permission
then the premises are at risk from
unauthorised access. This risk can
be mitigated by ensuring that the
key cannot be easily copied by
specifying a cylinder with a restricted
key section. In order to prevent keys
from being copied, the profile or
shape of the key, is often designed in
a unique way. Through a combination
of applying for a patent for the shape
of the key and ensuring that the key
blanks are not available to locksmiths
and key cutters, without the proper
safeguards in place, the risk that
the key will be duplicated can be
controlled. Cylinders that feature a
restricted profile and meet TS 007
standards offer the highest standards
of security.
RESTRICTED
CYLINDER
PROFILES
The benefits of cylinders
with restricted profile keys
Restricted profiles are suitable for
many situations including public and
private offices, building complexes and
private homes. If you want to provide
an even higher level of security and
generate repeat business for years to
come, then it’s worth considering fitting
a restricted profile cylinder.
‘Generates repeat
business for years
to come’
You can provide your customers
with a cylinder that has all the security
standards needed and comes with a
restricted profile key specifically coded
to you.
Who you should purchase your
restricted profile cylinders from?
Always choose a reputable company
that keeps records of your registered
restricted profile key codes and stores
them safely for you in accordance to
the new GDPR (General Data Protection
Regulation) legislation. When you
purchase a restricted profile cylinder,
you will have a patent for a number of
years, so it’s recommended to use an
established organisation who are going
to be around for the long term.
3 REASONS to have a
restricted profile cylinder…
1. Lost keys can’t be recut by
anyone other than the company
holding the code reducing risk of
unauthorised entry through illegal
key cutting.
2. Customers must return to the
registered owner of the code
for extra cut keys or additional
cylinders to work off the key
number.
3. Long patents mean you can
generate repeat business for years
to come.
SEP/OCT 2019
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