British Lock Standards BS3621 or BS8621 - What does this mean?
As a Manchester Locksmith, we find that many people are not aware of the British Lock Standards that are in place – the most common being BS3621 and BS8621. You might wonder why knowing these standards are important, however without these, it would be difficult to know for sure how reliable and secure your locks are.
The British Lock Standards are in place to ensure that all locks that you have fitted in your doors have been tested thoroughly and that they meet certain criteria. Ticking these boxes means they make your property much more secure and help to deter intruders. Having these locks that meet the standards may also help reduce your home insurance premium or ensure it is valid, as many policies require these standards to have been met, and if you have an incident of a break in, your policy might be invalid.
Now for the important question – What are these British Standards and what is BS3621 and BS8621?
BS3621 was introduced in 2007 and is the British Standard for ‘Lock assemblies operated by a key from both the inside and outside the door’. This standard applied to Mortice deadlocks and Sash Locks, euro deadlocks and Sash Locks and cylinder locks e.g Night latches and rim cylinders. In order for these locks to comply with BS3621, a specific design and functionality criteria must be met. A good example is that a lock must have 5 levers and be able to withstand a drill attack for up to 5 minutes. They also much have an anti-picking mechanism and have a specified minimum bolt length. If the locks meet this criteria they are considered to be good ‘thief resistant locks’. The British Standards Institute (BSI) undertake rigorous testing as standard to assess new locks, these include common ‘attack’ methods as well as wear and tear reliability and safety. If the lock successfully passes these checks, a ‘Kitemark’ is awarded to the particular lock design and product.
The BSI Kitemark is the most recognised symbols to help indicate quality, reliability and trust. This kitemark should be stamped on the face of the lock which should be visible when the door is open along with being prominent on the packaging.
The BS8621 is the same with regards to the standards to meet, however this relates to locks that are ‘operated by a key from the outside of the door and by handle or thumb-turn from the inside of the door’.
In summary it is always best to purchase locks from a reliable source and keep a look out for the Kitemark in order to be sure that your locks are reliable enough to provide a good standard of security for your home. Key Access Locksmith can help point you in the direction and provide accurate advice on this type of locks should you have any concerns. Being a highly experienced Locksmith based in and around the Manchester and Stockport area, we can also help in various aspects of locking mechanisms and getting them fitted correctly and securely.
