Yale & T.E.N.A.N.T Power Can Help Us All

With the victim and the Police often being the first to become aware of the new ways in which doors and windows are being attacked, it is essential that manufacturers make them as aware as possible of the solutions available, enabling CPDAs (crime prevention and design advisers) and ALOs (architectural liaison officers) to take the lead in preventing future similar crimes. Awareness of hardware benefits amongst independent groups like the Police and tenant bodies is also absolutely crucial. Ultimately, all groups share the common goal of creating homes which have the correct level of security fit for today’s society.

Tenants clearly want a secure home with doors and windows capable of withstanding the most common types of attack.

Since the launch of Yale’s specification initiative in 2005, the world’s favourite locking brand has focused its efforts upon developing working partnerships with fabricators, systems houses and specifiers, also in an attempt to make the Yale brand more accessible in the Social Housing market. Yale Marketing Manager, Sarah Massey says, "As the world’s favourite lock and being part of the world’s leading lock group - ASSA ABLOY, tenants should have access to Yale products". To do this Yale have identified the need to work in partnership with door fabricators and develop locking products to achieve the improved PAS24 standards in door security - now applicable to French doors.

Involving the Police in the design of new products and working with British Standards will ultimately drive security specifications up and help tackle real issues on the street. The police naturally want a reduction in burglary. After all, it is Police officers who are most exposed to the emotional distress and financial loss faced by householders through the 1.6 million burglaries that still occur every year.

And specifiers want the right hardware to satisfy their tenants and avoid the risk of litigation. In line with Best Value thinking, they fully accept the need to use the right products to meet the legislative requirements concerning such things as security, child safety and emergency egress, and many housing associations and local authorities are also currently undertaking major replacement door and window programmes to ensure their homes meet the Decent Homes standard by 2010 - and undoubtedly many will want to incorporate a degree of future-proofing here as much as possible.

This common goal of creating secure homes is extremely positive for fabricators involved in the social housing market. Many fabricators are already aware of how hardware is able to address issues but the limited exchange of information amongst other groups has traditionally made it difficult to convince all specifiers to take on board the idea of a high-spec door.