Intratone Achieves Secured by Design Certification

Intratone is a member of Secured by Design, the flagship UK police initiative to help ‘design out’ crime through high-quality, innovative products and processes. Intratone’s SC-02 GSM Door Entry Panel meets the stringent requirements of the UK police force to become certified as Secured by Design. SBD certification is the only route for a product to achieve police recognition in the UK.

But what does it mean to achieve certification under Secured by Design, and why does it matter?

What is Secured by Design?

SBD has a simple mantra “reducing crime by good design.” However, behind this uncomplicated message lies a fundamental approach to baking security into products. In 2021/2022, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) recorded over 192,000 home burglaries in England and Wales. Each of those burglaries represents an individual or family impacted by crime. Secured by Design (SBD) was set up by the UK police force in 1989 to tackle crimes in local communities through a series of crime prevention initiatives. One of the areas of focus by the task force was the poor security of housing stock in the UK. To improve the security of buildings and prevent crime, SBD works to embed the principles of secure design into the planning process in the building and construction industry. By doing so, SBD can provide a framework based on police security standards that creates safe housing stock and helps prevent crime. SBD is delivered by local specialist officers called Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs).

Designing-in security

Design thinking is an integral part of building robust and secure housing. The finished building can be more robust by firmly placing security at the centre of the design process. The Secured by Design DOCOs work alongside architects, developers, and local authority planners to remove possible design flaws that lead to insecure buildings. SBD focuses on improving the physical security of facilities by incorporating crime prevention techniques into the core of building design. SBD extends this secure thinking into the surroundings of the buildings, establishing holistic security practices. However, the design and development process must call upon secure building materials and components to create secure structures. To ensure that builders can use fit-for-purpose building components, SBD offers a certification program demonstrating proof that a product has been developed using secure design principles. Any product that achieves SBD certification provides assurance that the product is fit-for-purpose and will enhance building security.

Why is SBD certification important?

Since its inauguration in 1989, SBD has ensured that over one million homes in the UK are built to Secured by Design standards. Evidence of the effectiveness of the SBD initiative is demonstrated by the reduced burglaries in buildings that meet the SBD standards. A recent study from Police Scotland, based on 3000 houses built to SBD standards, found an 87% reduction in recorded crimes in this housing stock. Study authors said, “Secured by Design makes a massive difference to reducing the opportunities for crime and the amount of crimes that have actually occurred.” 

In another study in Glasgow, the researchers demonstrated that refurbished developments that used Secured by Design principles were up to 63% less likely to experience crime.

Using products certified to SBD standards helps to build developments that meet the principles of Secured by Design.

Intratone SC-02 GSM Door Entry Panel certified as Secured by Design

To achieve Secured by Design status, Intratone’s SC-02 GSM Door Entry Panel had to adhere to rigorous test standards required by the police. Secured by Design certification of a product used in building and construction provides proof of robust design and development. To become SBD certified, products or services must be capable of “deterring or preventing crime” and are developed to a “Police Preferred Specification”.

To achieve SBD certification, a product must be:

• Independently tested to a relevant security standard
• Fully certified by an independent third-party, United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) certification body

Or

• Tested and certified by an approved body such as Sold Secure or Thatcham

Police Preferred Specification requires:

• Regular re-testing
• Annual inspection of the manufacturing facility to ensure quality and performance are maintained (by a UKAS body)

The process to become Secured by Design certified is carried out by specialist third-parties and is in-depth and detailed. Intratone has completed this process and is proud to announce that our Intratone SC-02 GSM Door Entry Panel is now certified to SBD standards. This means that the solution is preferred by the UK police force and is ready to use in buildings that need to reach SBD standards. The Intratone SC-02 GSM Door Entry Panel is not only SBD certified, but its innovative design ensures that housing managers have control over door access in a sustainable, easy-to-use and accessible-for-all product.

Intratone SC-02 GSM Door Entry Panel Certification details

Intratone’s SC-02 GSM Door Entry Panel was rated as an SBD-certified critical component within STS 202 BR2 requirements for burglary resistance of construction products, including hinged, pivoted, folding, or sliding doorset.

Using a Secured by Design product in your business shows your commitment to crime prevention and ensures that your clients and customers are safe.

Secured by Design’s membership scheme includes more than 800 member companies whose products and services have met the required standards. For further details on Intratone’s Secured by Design certification for our SC-02 GSM Door Entry Panel or any of our innovative products, contact us at [email protected]