Foreword

Publishing information

This British Standard is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 30 June 2017. It was prepared by Subcommittee B/538/4, Building hardware, under the authority of Technical Committee B/538/1, Windows and doors. A list of organizations represented on these committees can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Supersession

This British Standard supersedes BS 8621:2017 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/30338193, which is withdrawn.

Relationship with other publications

BS 8621 incorporates the requirements of BS EN 1303:2015 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/30264196 for cylinders for locks.

It also incorporates the requirements of BS EN 12209:2016 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/30298569 for mechanically operated locks, latches and locking plates. It uses specific performance grades from BS EN 12209 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/02952547U to specify thief-resistant lock assemblies that do not require a key for egress.

Attention is drawn to the fact that BS EN 12209:2016 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/30298569 fully takes into account the regulatory requirements of the EC Construction Products Regulation (305/2011) [1], which is implemented in the UK as the Construction Products Regulations 2013 [2].

This standard is part of a suite of three standards comprising:

• BS 3621 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/00084380U , Lock assemblies operated by key from both the inside and outside of the door;
• BS 8621 , Lock assemblies operated by key from the outside of the door and by handle or thumb turn from the inside of the door (this standard); and
• BS 10621 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/30167592U , Lock assemblies in which the operating mode can be switched between the normal BS 8621 operating mode and a secure mode in which no egress is possible.

The selection of the appropriate lock standard to conform to is to be made after consulting the Building Regulations [3] (and any other requirements) for the building in which the lock is to be installed and after carrying out the appropriate risk assessment for the building.

Information about this document

Text introduced by or altered by Amendment No. 1 is indicated in the text by tags . Minor editorial corrections are not tagged.

BS 8621:2017 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/30338193 was updated to incorporate the latest changes to BS EN 1303 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/01421181U and BS EN 12209 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/02952547U. The principal changes appear in Clauses 1, 4, 5 and 6 and Annex A.

For security purposes, there is a need to maintain confidentiality about some characteristics of a thief-resistant lock assembly. Moreover, in order to assess a lock’s capability of withstanding a criminal attack, it is necessary for it to be exposed to skilled manual testing that simulates such an attack. Such a simulation cannot, by its very nature, be codified so as to be fully reproducible in all circumstances, and for these reasons a formal test method is not published in this standard.

Instead, the standard requires that lock cylinders and lock assemblies, for which conformity to this standard is claimed, be submitted to a panel of expert assessors to be examined and assessed for their general vulnerability (see Clause 6). Details of this examination vary according to the design and type of lock assembly.

Details of the general nature of the assessment to which lock assemblies are to be submitted appear in Annex A, which is regarded as normative for the purposes of designing and constructing products in conformity with this standard. Requirements concerning the necessary qualifications for personnel undertaking such assessments are specified in Annex B.

It is recognized that, within a free and open market, the controls that can be applied to such assessments and claims might not be adequate to offer the degree of assurance that is expected of the types of locks specified in this British Standard. Particularly in view of the security nature of this British Standard, users are therefore strongly advised to consider the desirability of third-party certification, inspection and testing of products conforming to this British Standard. Appropriate conformity attestation arrangements are described in BS EN ISO/IEC 17065 [no rendering defined for element: std-id ] 10.3403/30260760U. Users seeking assistance in identifying appropriate assessment bodies or schemes may ask BSI to forward their enquiries to the relevant association.

This publication can be withdrawn, revised, partially superseded or superseded. Information regarding the status of this publication can be found in the Standards Catalogue on the BSI website at knowledge.bsigroup.com, or by contacting the Customer Services team.

Where websites and webpages have been cited, they are provided for ease of reference and are correct at the time of publication. The location of a webpage or website, or its contents, cannot be guaranteed.

Use of this document

It is important that doors and their frames, to which thief-resistant lock assemblies are attached, are of adequate strength to suit the lock assembly and are designed to prevent access other than by attacking the lock assembly.

In order to offer a robust and reliable set of criteria for lock assemblies offering high levels of resistance to potential burglars and thieves, it is likely that this British Standard will be subject to frequent revision. Users should therefore ensure that they are referring to the most recent edition.

It has been assumed in the preparation of this British Standard that the execution of its provisions will be entrusted to appropriately qualified and experienced people, for whose use it has been produced.

Presentational conventions

The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its requirements are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is “shall”.

Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.

Where words have alternative spellings, the preferred spelling of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is used (e.g. “organization” rather than “organisation”).

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to the use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

BS 8621:2017+A1:2024

Lock assemblies operated by key from the outside of the door and by handle or thumb turn from the inside of the door

Current

Published:

26 Sep 2024