DOORS & WINDOWS CALL FOR DUAL
DOORSET CERTIFICATION A
With the rise in crime increasing, now is the time for dual certification of entrance doorsets to become standard as BMJ finds out.
ccording to the latest government statistics, there were 191,023 domestic burglaries in England and Wales during the year ending March 2023, equating to more than 500 a day. Outside of London, this was most common in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, each reporting more than 15,000 domestic burglaries for the year. For those living in social housing, who are more likely to be a victim of burglary, the ongoing cost of living crisis is continuing to place more people into financial hardship, which could, in turn, increase the risk of crime rates rising across the UK.
Glyn Hauser, research & development senior group manager at JELD-WEN UK, says: “This is reflected by our own research, which recently found that almost half of all social housing tenants said they believed that crime was increasing in their area.
“Of course, the number of burglaries a year will never be zero. But with a quarter, 23%, of social housing tenants living in multi-occupancy properties reportedly having experienced a security breach over the last 12 months, rising to 35% in London - the reality is that there is scope to do much more to reduce the number of incidents. “This is why it is important for your consumers to have a solid door, as this is the most common entry point for burglars.” Hauser continues: “A secure doorset that has been designed to meet the rigorous standards of enhanced security performance offers one of the most effective forms of physical security. The UK police initiative, Secured by Design (SBD), requires manufacturers to go beyond legal requirements for its product to have a “Police Preferred Specification”, which gives confidence to buyers that the product will provide an enhanced level of security. “To obtain SBD accreditation, entrance doorsets must be dual-certified, providing a high level of protection not only against break ins, but also from fire and smoke, which goes beyond current Building Regulations.”
Increased Security
Research conducted by JELD-WEN found that 24% of social housing tenants felt that their entrance door was not secure and a further 33% did not feel adequately protected from the risk of a break-in.
“As part of the certification process, a doorset must have gone through a series of rigorous assessments as part of PAS24. This includes measuring resistance against soft and hard body impact, through to hardware attack and manipulation, and endurance testing,” comments Hauser. “SBD stipulates that testing must be conducted by an independent third party from a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) authority, and the same party would also test an identical product sample for fire and smoke resistance.
“This would not only keep the occupants of the house safe but also offer a peace of mind for landlords, knowing they have a purposefully design and tested doorset.” Hauser states: “What’s more, newly
March 2024
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enforced regulation dictates quarterly checks on fire doors in communal areas and annual checks on entrance doors in buildings taller than 11 metres. Given that internal breaches are equally important – particularly when it comes to safety – dual certification of entrance doorsets provides a clear opportunity for those responsible to pay the same due diligence to security, as part of both new build and retrofit processes, and addresses two major concerns in one.” He continues: “Everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home. While there is no silver bullet solution that will ensure this is the case in every property, the promotion of SBD accredited doorsets offers a prime opportunity to improve standards. “Although this may mean more time spent staying abreast of product developments and the latest accreditation requirements, those merchants who go the extra mile to provide up to date consultancy to customers will not only benefit themselves commercially, but will help to improve security standards.” BMJ
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