Introduction
From the 1st October 2005, the existing British Standards (BS4737, BS7042 and BS6799) have been withdrawn and replaced by the new European Standards BSEN 50131. The European Standards are NOT retrospective and systems installed to British Standards will still be maintained to that standard.
The European Standards rely on risk assessment to specify the equipment and system requirements. The risk assessments are banded into grades based on the type of risk and the effort an intruder might be prepared to use in a burglary.
As a result, the equipment used in alarm installations has also been graded to meet the criteria of the standards.
The Grades
The Grades range from 1 (lowest risk) to 4 (highest risk)
Grade 1 is for a property unlikely to attract an intruder and that any attempted intrusion is likely to be a spur-of-the-moment occurrance with no prior planning.
Properties falling into this Grade would be low grade domestic properties without an insurance requirement.
Grade 2 applies to a property which might attract an experienced thief with some knowledge of alarm systems, access points, and may carry some tools which could be used to bypass a simple alarm system.
Properties falling into this Grade would be most domestic preoperties and low-risk commercial properties e.g. greengrocers.
Grade 3 applies to a property at substantial risk of burglary - the property is likely to contain articles of high value/ease of disposal. The intruder could be expected to have a good knowledge of alarm systems
Properties in this grade would be high-risk domestic properties and most commercial properties e.g newsagents.
Grade 4 Intruders could be expected to plan in advance, have a good knowledge of alarm systems and the tools to bypass/change the alarm system. Intruders may also gain access through floors, walls and ceilings.
Properties falling into this Grade would be large jewellers, bullion stores etc.
Which Grade?
For the DIY installer (without a specific instruction from an insurance company) it is entirely a matter of choice - it is not the quality of the product that is graded, rather it is the level of security, for example a PIR with a lid and wall tamper and anti-masking will be Grade 3, without any one of those features the Grade will drop to 2.
System wide, products of different Grades can be mixed within the system, however the overall grade of the system will be that of the lowest grade component used.
Insurance Requirements
In the main, domestic properties are not required to be alarmed for burglary insurance cover. However, many insurance companies will offer a discount to alarmed properties. The drawback is that the insurance company will insist that the alarm system is maintained by an alarm installation company who are approved by one of the recognised associations such as NACOSS. In reality, the saving you may make on your insurance premium is likely to be less than the cost of the maintenance contract - you take your choice.
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