IRONMONGERY AND SECURITY
SECURE, TESTED, CERTIFIED.
Quality hardware, properly tested and certified can add to home security, and merchants’ bottom lines, as BMJ discovers.
O
bvious though it sounds, doors – front, side or back - are the most common access point for opportunistic burglars, making
high quality hardware the best line of defence to keep homes secure
Data released in July 2024 from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) shows that entry via a door occurred in 72% of reported burglaries between April 2022 and March 2023. This is despite domestic burglaries in England and Wales reaching its lowest in four decades at 391 – 15% of total thefts.
Security-conscious homeowners might look to protect their property via the latest technology and visual deterrents like video doorbells and burglar alarms. However, the role that high quality door hardware plays in deterring and preventing certain burglary methods can’t be underestimated. One of those methods is letterbox fishing: a technique used by criminals to steal possessions within easy reach of a door. This can be prevented through the addition of a security shroud – sometimes referred to as a letterplate restrictor or security hood – on the inside of the door, but these can be quite bulky and design-conscious homeowners don’t always want this.
Enter the TS 008:2022 tested AR708HS from ARRONE, a letterplate that can feature an anti-theft steel guard solution with a slimline cover on the inside door that offers a more discreet finish. Projection can be just 21mm with the cover providing non-restrictive door opening, even when the door is fully opened.
Tested for compliance Rob Adams, technical manager for ARRONE, part of the HOPPE Group, says that testing to TS 008:2022 shows that the letterplate has been tested to the latest technical specification for enhanced security and general requirements applicable to letterplate assemblies and slide through letter boxes. He says: “It offers a means of assessing how
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products perform against opportunist attacks, and importantly, all new doors fitted with a letterplate must pass this standard to be PAS 24 and Document Q compliant.” Adams explains that products meeting the right test criteria and obtaining the right certification provides reassurance to merchants, customers and end-users alike. “With testing and certification combined it shows that a product is fit for purpose when correctly installed,” he says.
Certified for fire safety “Security and safety are top of the agenda especially when it comes to fire. Products gaining the Certifire certification, such as the AR708HS when fitted with the associated ARRONE intumescent kit, show the customer that the product has been through a rigorous process before the product has been brought to market.”
After conducting initial product testing in-house, making any subsequent product changes and collating evidence, products are put through testing by Certifire, the independent certification scheme overseen by Warringtonfire. It is recognised worldwide as a mark of fire safety for passive fire products including door hardware.
Adams continues: “The certification process begins with evaluating test evidence followed by audits conducted at production sites. Sampling and testing may be carried
out during these audits, with the results contributing to the overall certification decision.
“Once approved, a certificate is issued and listed on the Certifire product register. Regular factory audits are held to ensure production control systems still meet the criteria and the product certificate is reviewed every five years.”
Post-Brexit, products previously CE marked (signifying that a product sold in the European Economic Area has been assessed to meet relevant safety, health, and environmental protection requirements) are to shift to a new United Kingdom Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark. The original deadline for construction products to be UKCA marked was set at 30 June 2025, but this has been extended indefinitely.
Approved Document B of the building regulations on fire safety has been using both European (EN) and British (BS) standards for fire resistance. The British Standard BS 476:22 has been running concurrently with EN 1634-1. However, from 2 March 2025, BS 476 no longer applies, with the BS EN 13501 series becoming the sole standard on fire classification of construction products and building elements and EN1634-1 for fire testing for doors and windows. Adams says: “Having one standard to reference makes the testing system more straightforward. One case where the European standard requires a different approach to the British Standard would be testing a letterplate, such as the AR708HS, which requires a significant hole through the door to fit. BS476 tests the pressure at different points compared to the EN1634 test and is therefore more in- depth.
“At HOPPE, we are well-prepared for this legislative change as our test evidence has been carried out to the more onerous European standard”.
Trusted relationship
He adds that merchants and their customers need to have full confidence in the products being stocked and sold. “As a construction product manufacturer, HOPPE has responsibilities under the Building Safety Act 2022 and can be held liable to pay damages if misleading information is given,” he says. “To understand what customers are looking for, meet legal requirements and advise customers accordingly, it’s important to know the terminology associated with testing and certification. HOPPE staff undergo training with the Guild of Architectural Ironmongery as well as internal training to provide correct and trusted information to customers.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net August 2025
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