An Englishman's Home Is His Castle?
LETTER BOX ADDS TO DOOR MISERY
FACT
External doors are absolutely critical to the safety of premises and occupants. They must meet specified performance standards to demonstrate appropriate levels of security and fitness for purpose. The building owners and occupants rely on the door's tests results and the Certificate of compliance to the standards.
However, whereas a property is always a target for criminals, few doors are safe in the UK. Residents and businesses suffer from criminal attacks, such as arson, burglary, theft and vandalism through the external doors that were claimed by the manufacturers to be in compliance with the security standards.
This is partly due to serious lapses with the letterplate (letter box) security. According to the standards currently used in the UK, doors are tested for security and fire resistance with the letterplate either not fitted, or when it is in a closed position or specifically excluded from the test. Then these doors are used by customers with a letterplate because 'the mail must go through'.
PAS 24:2007
Doors in the UK are currently tested for compliance with PAS 24:2007 'Enhanced security performance requirement for door assemblies - Single and double leaf, hinged external door assemblies to dwellings' that came into effect on 30 November 2007 to replace PAS 23-1:1999 and PAS 24-1:1999. It was approved by 'Secured by Design', which is the official UK Police flagship initiative supporting the principles of 'designing out crime'.
On 'Secured by Design' website there is a Security Checklist as 'a quick reminder of some of the things you can do to improve the security around your home.' The first point in this list is as following:
'If you replace a door it is better to buy a new "door set" certified to British Standard PAS 24-1 'Doors of Enhanced Security'.
However, PAS 24:2007 is not a Standard; it is Product Assessment Specification - the convenient way to go round a standard that would be more demanding. Industry is very powerful, it sits on all committees and they object to accepting European standards for doors security. PAS 24:2007 is a low-grade test with no levels - only one level, whereas European specifications ENV 1627-1630 provide 6 levels for door security.
In PAS 24:2007 letterplate is listed among features that may influence the security of a door assembly. And yet, whenever the letterplate is mentioned in PAS 24:2007 it is specifically excluded from the test.
In Manipulation test with the objective to establish that there is no inherent vulnerability in the design, the test Procedure stipulates that 'The aperture within any letter plate shall not be used to gain entry during the test.'
In Manual cutting test with the objective to assess whether the door sample can withstand a specified sequence of loading without creating an entry the test Procedure stipulates that 'The aperture present in any letter plate shall not be used in the assessment of gaining entry'.
Protecting the letter box would add up to the door security but to the price too and door manufacturers are resisting this obvious and essential door improvement claiming that they are under ever increasing pressure from competition to reduce the costs.
MOST EXTERNAL DOORS IN THE UK DO NOT MEET EUROPEAN PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR SECURITY
THE QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESS OF THE DOOR WITH THE LETTERPLATE COLLAPSES AT THE POINT OF INSTALLATION AND USE
THE UNPROTECTED LETTERPLATE IS OFTEN THE MAIN CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS, WHICH MANY DOOR PRODUCTS HAVE FAILED TO PROTECT AGAINST
The letterplate is the only part of the property that is publicly accessible 24 hours a day and it makes the property vulnerable and exposed to all four main risks defined by the insurance: from fire, water damage, malicious damage and weather - related damage. With the letterplate considered the door will not pass the test for European specifications ENV 1627-1630 and even PAS 24:2007.
As the problem is widely recognised, some customers go for the fitting of the fire (and smoke) rated letter box products.
However, these products are tested for fire performance with BS 476: Pt. 20/22:1987 with the letterplate flap blocked off during the tests and the issue of letter box arson not addressed. The products designed to protect just the door structure cannot stop letter box crime and vandalism, especially introduction of inflammable substances, since the letterplate can be opened by anyone, including a criminal. Therefore, these products are useless against arson and do not address the need for the efficient protection of a property and people against the letterplate (letter box) related crime.
Even in the case of a fire (not necessarily arson) if the letterplate is open (for example, by stuffed mail items) it would allow a direct passage for hot gasses and flames. Furthermore, an excessive air flow through the open letterplate leads to additional source of oxygen and increased risk to the premises in the event of fire.
Ask yourself: would a door or a letterplate or the fire rated letter box system, which were tested with the letterplate flap blocked off during the tests but open in practice protect a property and the occupants?
THE LETTER BOX CRIME AND VANDALISM SHOCKING STATISTICS MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THE CURRENTLY USED DOORS WITH UNPROTECTED LETTERPLATE AND UNSUITABLE LETTER BOX SECURITY PRODUCTS ARE UNFIT FOR PURPOSE
The unprotected letter box offers an easy and attractive route into the property for vandals, arsonists, thieves, burglars and terrorists - whatever locks may be installed in the door. This security drawback often turns fatal for property occupants.
ENTRANCE DOORS WITH UNPROTECTED LETTER BOX CAN BE REAL KILLERS
The risk of crime starting through the unprotected letter box in the entrance door is well known and identified by the Insurance, Fire Brigade, Police Service, Master Locksmiths Association, etc. and recently it was highlighted in the guidance document on fire safety for blocks of flats.
Statistics on crime and incidents that have heavily featured in media reports have highlighted the need for improved security in the letter box without disrupting the mail delivery. Common sense tells us that considering the shocking statistics and for the same reason that you have your front door locked, you must also have security against crime and vandalism in your front door letter box.
Since the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the FSO) was introduced from 1st October 2006 in the UK, the owners and managers of non-domestic premises are personally responsible for the fire safety of their premises and must take measures to eliminate all known risks of fire.
Therefore, protecting the entrance door letter box is essential in all non-domestic premises for complying with the law. The FSO brought the common parts of blocks of flats within the scope of mainstream fire safety legislation for the first time. In the case of an accident, the owners and managers face the risk of not complying with the legislation, hefty fines, difficulty with getting insurance and even imprisonment.
The BSI Committee SVS/4 Postal services
The BSI Committee SVS/4 Postal services, which is responsible in the UK for the preparation of British Standards in the field of postal services and for formulating UK votes and comments on documents developed by CEN/TC331 Postal services, had approved in 2002 a seriously flawed Standard BS EN 13724:2002 'Postal services - Apertures of private letter boxes and letter plates - requirements and test methods', which did not take into consideration security, energy saving and environmental issues of a property and the occupants.
It beggars believe that with the shocking letter box related crime statistics in the UK and with the BSI Committee specifically being advised about these issues since 2004, the Committee failed to make any amendments to the Standard neither at that time, nor even three years later in 2007, when the Standard was due for an official review, nor in the years that followed, and up to now (2012).
In the absence of a sound Standard the market is filled with the outdated, sub quality and simply inadequate products that often mislead the customers. We are facing the intolerable situation where Police service reports that arson, when accelerants are introduced through letterplates, constitutes 95% of all offences in dwellings and innocent people, including young children, have been burned to death.
IS YOUR DOOR UP TO THE JOB?WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Who Commits Arson and Why?
Source: The Home Office
Youth Disorder and Nuisance: Vandalism, Boredom, Excitement, Curiosity, Peer pressure, Gang culture
Criminal: Financial gain, Fraud, Concealing evidence of criminal activity (e.g. car theft/burglary)
Psychological: Mental illness
Malicious: Revenge, Anger, Frustration, Racism/Clash of beliefs, Homophobic
Other: Attempt to be re-homed, Family argument, Drugs, Truancy, Personal animosities, etc.
THE DIVERSE MOTIVES OF ARSONISTS, VANDALS AND CRIMINALS MEAN THAT NO HOME OR BUSINESS IS IMMUNE FROM AN ATTACK
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE IN THE LETTER BOX YOU COULD BE VISITED BY A CRIMINAL OR RUN THE RISK OF PROSECUTION OR LEGAL CHALLENGE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT
