‘Secured By Design’ and ‘PAS 24’ often crop up together, which can lead to a bit of confusion about the role of each. Here, we try to clear up exactly what each term refers to. We’ll take PAS 24 first.

PAS 24
PAS stands for ‘Product Assessment Specification’ and is a security test that determines whether doors can withstand the typical ploys used by burglars to gain access.

During the test, which must be conducted by a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) approved test body, doors are subjected to the type of attacks that are associated with opportunistic burglaries, such as whether entry can be gained by manipulating a lock with a screwdriver. The test result only specifies whether they are resistant or not – it doesn’t provide any finer distinctions to show how much more resistant one door might be than another.

Building regulations require that new dwelling windows and doors must have passed either PAS 24 or a suitable alternative to help ensure adequate security. Even for existing properties, landlords, councils and architects will typically specify that the doors and windows used in their properties must have passed PAS 24 testing.

Secured by Design

Secured by Design (SBD) is a scheme run by the police. One of its main aims is to reduce crime by endorsing products that make it more difficult for criminals to succeed in their nefarious aims. The types of products can range from padlocks to alarms and, of course, doors. Products that have gained SBD accreditation give confidence to buyers that they will provide a robust level of security. In effect, the SBD logo acts as a mark of approval, and the Scheme as a whole has been credited with reducing the number of break-ins and burglaries across the UK.

It’s of note that the remit of Secured by Design has over time been extended from examining products designed to prevent crime to also cover those that relate more widely to public safety and security, such as those designed to keep people safe in the event of a fire.

So how are PAS 24 and Secured by Design connected?

SBD accreditation typically requires a product to have achieved a recognised standard by passing the appropriate test. In the case of doors and windows, the requisite standard is PAS 24. In other words, a door that has SBD accreditation must, by definition, have also passed the PAS 24 test.

PAS 24 is therefore a security test applying to doors and windows that sets a general standard of effectiveness recognised across the building industry. A PAS 24 pass is also an essential prerequisite for achieving Secured by Design approval.

We hope that helps to clarify the distinction between the PAS 24 test and the SBD accreditation. We’re pleased to say that all Solidcor doors are accredited by Secured by Design. We think every resident deserves the assurance.