Revised PAS 24: making doors and windows safer

We all know the saying 'as safe as houses' means that something is very safe indeed. Yet in 2015 alone there were an estimated 750,000 incidents of domestic burglary in England and Wales. These thieves will have found a way into a property through a door or window, whether by finding it unlocked or breaking and entering.

Just as there have always been burglars, so there have always been ingenious security fittings to deter them and block entry. Criminals and security manufacturers are in an ongoing arms race. Over the years, key locks have become more sophisticated, windows have been designed to deter criminals and security alarms have evolved from simple bells to property-wide systems incorporating cameras, sensors and lights.

PAS 24 is the latest measure to update security standards for UK residential properties and other buildings with a similar risk profile. The improved security measures should give consumers additional reassurance in the security of their property.

The role of PAS 24

In 2012, BSI produced PAS 24 Enhanced security performance requirement for doorsets and windows in the UK. Doorsets and windows intended to offer a level of security suitable for dwellings and other buildings exposed to comparable risk.

The specification set out a method for testing and assessing enhanced security performance of doorsets and window types intended to resist the most common techniques used by casual burglars in the UK.

The specification is given as the suitable standard for doors and windows within Approved Document Q, which supports building requirements as set out in the Building Regulations 2010.

Approved Document Q states that doorsets should be secure, letter plates should not exceed a maximum size and should prevent people trying to remove keys from outside, the main entry door should have a door viewer and frames should be mechanically fixed to the structure of the building, while lightweight frames should incorporate a resilient layer. According to Approved Document Q, any windows which are easily accessible should be secure and frames should be mechanically fixed to the structure of the building.

Updated version of PAS 24

PAS 24:2016 updates PAS 24:2012 in several important aspects. The standard applies to all new complete windows and doorsets prior to installation. It applies whether entry through the door or window is possible through manipulation of a lock cylinder. The standard does not consider breaking and entering through breaking of glass, lock picking using specialist tools or attacks on frame fixing. It does not provide for testing of component performance or installation requirements.

The amended PAS 24 contains a number of improvements on the original text. Firstly, a number of the test methods contained within the standard have been simplified. This should make the testing regime clearer and more user-friendly.

The new standard also contains a single option to ensure all doorsets can be used with easy egress hardware, and a wider scope is introduced so a broader range of doorsets and windows will be covered by the standard. This will enable more products to demonstrate compliance with the standard.

Revisions have also been made to assist with the requirement instigated by the NHBC (National House Building Council) that all doorsets on new build properties should allow for easy egress. This means they should have thumb turn cylinders or other easy egress hardware.

As letter boxes have increasingly been a target for thieves seeking to steal keys to the property and/or to vehicles outside, the new standard introduces more robust requirements for letter plates. This should help to address this issue.

How the PAS 24 standard was developed

The revised standard was developed through a collaborative consensus-based approach involving multiple stakeholders. The specification is expected to be adopted by a wide range of businesses and professionals, including architects, building specifiers, manufacturers and trade bodies.

Anthony Burd, Head of Sector, Built Environment at BSI commented that the revised standard "should mean more products can use this important option to demonstrate compliance, therefore affording further peace of mind for suppliers, installers and customers."