Securistyle - developing the future

STYLISH 21ST CENTURY ARCHITECTURE MADE EASY WITH NEW COMMERCIAL HINGE GUIDE FROM SECURISTYLE

Leading window and door hardware manufacturer Securistyle makes the specification process easy with the launch of its new commercial hinge guide.

A comprehensive guide to its enhanced range of market leading products, it includes the Sterling heavy duty self-balancing friction hinge, the Parallel Plus hinge which provides the ultimate in natural ventilation, and the Rushmore hinge which is specifically designed for large openings of up to 4.2 metres high in curtain walling.

Securistyle director Nigel Thompson says: “Stylish 21st century architecture which incorporates increasingly innovative glazing features demands reliable, high performance window hinges. Increased carrying capacity, innovation and sustainability are all essential to commercial installation and through product development we strive to provide superior hardware to meet the ever changing requirements of building design. The comprehensive product range featured in the new brochure provides solutions that allow architects to bring their glazing designs to life, delivering the desired visual appeal.”

All products are manufactured from 304 austenitic stainless steel and are backed by a 12 year guarantee. There is also a range of accessories including restrictors.

A free copy of the brochure can be obtained by calling Maria Fatica at Securistyle on 01242 221200 or by emailing us at info@securistyle.co.uk

NEW SECURISTYLE SPECIFIERS GUIDE TELLS ALL

A free ‘Specification Solutions’ guide

A ‘Specification Solutions’ guide that addresses all the common problems associated with window hardware specification, has been launched by Securistyle in light of the introduction of new European legislation and the impact on current British Standards.

Free to specifiers and architects in the commercial, new build and social housing sectors, the six-page guide, highlights the most cost effective ways to draw up a good window specification. It focuses on what specifiers should consider when selecting a safe, secure window that is going to perform well in the long-term and that meets all legislative requirements.

According to Ken Evans, who heads Securistyle’s specification team, the ever changing needs of legislation, means that there is a very definite need for the provision of impartial and objective information to allow specifiers to make an informed choice.

He says: “There are a number of amendments to British and European Standards which have come or are coming into force this year and will have an effect on correct window specification. The guide provides guidance on how to comply with these changes and ‘future proof’ your window hardware specification.”

The guide incorporates a number of sections including Best Value and sustainability, security, child safety, fire egress and guarantees.
A copy of the Specification Solutions Guide can be obtained by calling Securistyle on 01242 221200.

RISKY BUSINESS

By Ken Evans, National Specification Manager, Securistyle Ltd

In the public sector, legislation has forced specifiers to radically rethink their approach to window and door hardware. Its significance has changed from a functional necessity to a major safety and security factor.

The pressure on specifiers in relation to window and door locks, handles and hinges and other hardware is two-fold. On the one hand, there is a requirement to consider the lifetime costing of products and their environmental sustainability, particularly in relation to the Code for Sustainable Homes and on the other, the need to address the basic requirements of residents, principally safety and security.

A risk assessment is a core requirement when you develop a safe and secure window and door hardware specification for your housing stock. A high level of security helps to protect your residents from unwanted intruders but you must also be careful not to prevent or hinder your residents from escaping the property quickly and easily in the case of a fire or other emergency.

Your specification will need to include a solution to this clear contradiction. The solution will be more evident after a risk assessment is made, which in itself is a form of best practice when preparing a robust specification. Securistyle and other responsible hardware manufacturers will provide practical advice and even provide specimen specifications that ensure all the risks are assessed and adequately considered.

A key indicator of the hardware’s suitability is whether it has been tested to appropriate British Standards, codes of practice and current legislation – a claim that unfortunately not all hardware manufacturers can make.

As a responsible window hardware manufacturer Securistyle ensures that all its products meet all the latest legislative requirements and that they are tested to meet British Standards. Securistyle even has a dedicated specification support team, which is available to provide advice and free CPD-approved seminars to specifiers who are confused by the myriad of requirements and standards that must be considered when developing a robust specification.

For example, the latest security threat has been identified as “bumping” door lock cylinders. This is a method of unlocking cylinders, which can be done very quickly and easily and with no visible signs of damage. Securistyle has launched an anti-manipulation cylinder which cannot be “bumped” and is one of the few solutions on the market that not only complies with all three requisite standards, namely PAS 24 : 2007, BS EN 1303: 2005 and BS3621: 2007 but also carries a Secured by Design product licence.

In order to draft specifications which meet the householders needs specifiers must understand how the constantly evolving Standards work together.

BS 3621: 2007 “Thief resistant lock assemblies – Key egress” has been recently upgraded to incorporate further requirements in respect of emergent criminal techniques. It is one of the most publicised British Standards and one which many insurance companies use as a benchmark for the locks they require their policy holders to have fitted to their external doors. It is, along with BS EN 1303, an integral part of the revised PAS24.

The introduction of these revised standards means that it is now very timely to review your key policy. For instance you should consider when you should change your locks, how many keys should be issued, the use of masterkeys and the impact this may have on your residents’ Human Rights.

Children as well as elderly and disabled residents are particularly vulnerable and their needs must be considered when preparing a window or door hardware specification. Housing providers must meet the requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations as well as fulfil their obligations of the Disability Equality Duty if they are to demonstrate their Duty of Care to disabled residents. For example, the simple choice of a DDA compliant door handle grip can made a world of difference.

Local authorities and housing associations across the UK have embraced advice from the police, the fire service and security experts and worked closely with hardware manufacturers to deliver safer and more secure homes.

Aside from the design features, specifiers must also consider the environmental implications of the hardware they choose. Does the supplier have a clearly stated environmental policy? Is the product manufactured from a long-lasting, corrosion resistant material, such as recyclable austenitic stainless steel?

To ensure window and door specifications are as future-proof as they can possibly be, specifiers must ask how their hardware supplier and fabricator or contractor is addressing all the issues. Without thinking ahead, expensive and disruptive remedial work may be necessary.

Securistyle is actively working with specifiers to drive up the safety standard of windows and doors. Securistyle hardware is already chosen by many specifiers who want to create safe and secure windows and doors. But it would be wise for specifiers, when embarking on a housing refurbishment or newbuild project, to reduce the risk by consulting with Securistyle, or other reputable hardware manufacturers, to ensure that their residents get a safe and secure home and leave nothing to chance.

Securistyle: first with Q-Mark for enhanced security

Social housing providers can provide their residents with even greater protection from unwanted intruders thanks to door and window hardware manufacturer Securistyle.

The company has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve the BM TRADA Q-Mark, for its multipoint door lock, under a new annex to the third-party certification scheme for enhanced security doors.

Securistyle hardware is widely specified in the social housing market and has a product development programme designed to stay ahead of new legislation.

Securistyle’s Technical Manager Grant Stratford said: “As legislation gets tougher, to keep ahead of the opportunistic intruder, we must ensure that we develop our products accordingly. The BM TRADA Q-Mark underlines our commitment to social housing specifiers and ultimately to their residents.

“We were particularly drawn by the fact that one of the Q-Mark scheme requirements is an annual audit of our operations. This will leave specifiers in no doubt that they can expect not only a quality product, which will perform to the required security standards, but a product which is manufactured to a consistently high quality and will therefore last for many years.’

As the first hardware manufacturer to become a member of the new scheme, the certification process proved to be a learning curve for both Securistyle and BM TRADA, said Senior Technical Consultant Andy Sumner. ‘BM TRADA has developed the scheme to create the highest standards in quality and security, in line with Secured by Design requirements and reflecting the more rigorous testing now required by PAS 023-1:1999 and PAS 024:2007. The Q-Mark even exceeds the standards required for certain aspects of performance, such as corrosion resistance, because we want that product to perform far into the future in any geographical location.’

To this end, as part of its annual audit BM TRADA will review the components and the processes used in the manufacture of the certified products. ‘Securistyle’s clear focus on good design and the execution of that design in the manufacturing process flagged up some issues that our certification programme had to address. We are confident that we have come up with a rigorous standard for the hardware industry which will give fabricators every confidence in hardware which carries the Q-Mark.’

Securistyle is now finalising Q-Mark certification for its anti-manipulation door cylinder which has already attained kitemark registration to the updated PAS 024:2007 standard published in December 2007.

SECURISTYLE AND KEB FORM ‘TOP FLIGHT’ SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS AT RAF WOODBRIDGE

RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk

Window hardware manufacturer Securistyle and KEB Fabrications Ltd (KEB) have achieved a soaring success at RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, where MOD service accommodation has been refurbished.

KEB fitted window locks and friction hinges manufactured by Securistyle in the contract that was managed by Kiers, who chose KEB to be their supply chain partner for the windows and doors contract.

The combination of Securistyle’s high quality product range and KEB’s sector experience meant that with more than 3000 windows to be supplied, Kiers could be sure of a continuous reliable output, with a second to none quality requirement, and the BSI specification being adhered to.

Lawrence Breakspear, managing director of KEB, said: “With lines of good communication set up, we soon became one of the main corner stones of the supply chain, communicating with the client and the other members of the supply chain.”

The windows were made from Profile 22’s 70mm suite of profiles, with Securistyle locks and friction hinges completing the highly specified windows. “By using a high quality system like Profile 22 and high performance quality locks and hinges by Securistyle, we can match any performance specification requirement and usually exceed it,” said Lawrence.

A Kiers spokesperson added: “Without a doubt partnering with KEB and its supply chain partners did greatly enhance the success of this project. It proves that genuine partnering does work.”

Ken Evans, national specification manager at Securistyle, said: “Main contractors rely on members of the supply chain to provide the right solutions and the right advice, so it is important that they select their partners carefully. With more than 25 years experience and a market leading brand, Securistyle continually invests in developing enhanced products that will meet the requirements of fabricators and their clients.”

For further information about Securistyle call 01242 221200 or visit www.securistyle.co.uk.

LOCKING IN THE SPECIFICATION

Resident Sharon Yanks, Securistyle’s Ken Evans & Jonathan Rogers of S. Beds D.C.

In order to ensure 100% client satisfaction by providing safe and secure windows, South Bedfordshire District Council is working in partnership with the UK’s leading window hardware manufacturer Securistyle and fabricator and installer Wrekin Windows.

Now one year into its second three-year window replacement programme, the council was keen to maintain the partnering agreement with Securistyle to ensure consistency in the quality of the work as well as the quality of the products. This consistency is guaranteed by using Securistyle’s unique service The Partnership Pledge.

Jonathan Rogers of South Bedfordshire District Council, said: “The Partnership Pledge is the ideal way for us to make sure that we are we getting the exact hardware we specified, that it comes with a 10 year guarantee, is fitted correctly and comes from a company that we trust.

“It is also important to us that our partners are directly involved with the projects we are undertaking. Securistyle and Wrekin Windows have been key in taking our window replacement programme forward, providing us with up-to-date information and products and even inviting us to watch the Defender Lock breeze through the BS7950 test.”

So far, over 1000 properties have been fitted with austenitic Securistyle hardware as part of the council’s commitment to replacing timber and metal windows with PVC. The new phase will see Securistyle’s Defender range of friction hinges installed, along with the Virage handle, including the easily visible green button version for emergency egress windows, the Defender High Security Lock and Ancillary Security Devices.

For more information on all Securistyle products please call 01242 221200 or visit www.securistyle.co.uk.

SECURISTYLE: THE CLEAR CHOICE IN WINDOW HARDWARE

The windows in your home bring light and ventilation into the property. But as well as being an essential feature, they can be the most vulnerable part of a building. They are a common means of entry for burglars and unfortunately deaths and injuries have occurred when people have fallen out of upper storey windows.

These security and safety issues cannot be underestimated. In addition, windows are one of the components of your home that require maintenance and replacement over time.

The window ironmongery or hardware - the hinges, handles and locks etc - as the major moving parts of windows, can often prove the most problematical.

The fitting of inappropriate or malfunctioning window hardware can and has led to more serious consequences than just draughty windows. It has lead to fatal injuries from falling and, on occasion, prevented people from escaping a house fire.

Addressing the issues of how to use a window safely, how to keep safe while you are cleaning a window, using the window as a means of escape from a fire or other emergency, security from unauthorized entry and the long term durability of a window are not optional extras but essential matters for your consideration.

If you choose the right type and quality of window hardware from the outset, and make sure that it is correctly fitted and installed, then it is relatively simple to address the above issues.

The basis of good design for any window is that it should be easy to operate, open safely without being a hazard to passers-by, and minimize the risk of falling through. A well designed upper floor window should be also safe to clean from the inside, particularly if external access is difficult due to an extension below, such as a conservatory.

Child and resident safety

It is recommended that safety restrictors be fitted to all accessible opening windows where children or adults may be at risk of falling out. The guidance on restrictors comes from various sources including RoSPA and recommends:

• The initial movement of an opening window to be restricted to not more than 100 mm
• Releasable only by manipulation not normally possible by children
• Only capable of being released by deliberate action to permit the window to be opened fully.
• Automatically re-engage when closed.

When fitted with a restrictor, windows should conform to the requirements of BS 6375 Part 2 Specification for Operation and Strength Characteristics Loading of Windows and withstand a force of 600 Newtons should anyone accidentally fall against it in the restricted position.

Means of fire escape

All newly fitted and replacement windows must comply with the relevant parts of the Building Regulations. The main guidance covering emergency egress from windows comes from the Building Regulations Approved Document B. While in most instances the means of escape from a typical one or two storey house is relatively simple to provide, proof of full compliance is a legal requirement and should be obtained through either the Local Authority Building Control or through the FENSA certification scheme, which many window installation companies belong to. A fully compliant designated escape window should also be safe to operate and clean.

A risk assessment should be carried out taking these and other “inclusive” design issues into consideration. These inclusive design issues should incorporate such matters as window handle heights. The window designer is the person responsible for carrying out the risk assessment and in the case of domestic replacement windows the designer is deemed to be the person or organisation taking the order from the householder.

Securistyle manufactures a range of hardware and fittings which meets all of these requirements.

Securistyle is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of friction hinges and security hardware for windows holding a Secured By Design Product License. It has Investors in People status, and BSEN ISO 9001:2000 Quality Assurance. From its Cheltenham factory it exports its products around the world.