Security grilles provide physical security when shut (such as at night) with inconspicuousness when retracted (such as during the day). The same can be said of security shutters, so how would you choose which one to fit to your business premises or domestic property?
It is about selecting the correct compromise between security, ease of use, aesthetics and safety.
Generally speaking security grilles are designed for low to medium physical resistance to intruders. If you require high physical resistance then security shutters are likely to be the recommended choice.
Physical intruder resistance has standards which security grilles and shutters can be tested against. This is something that insurance companies may require. The standard is LPS otherwise known as the ‘Loss Prevention Standard’. This standard provides six security ratings (SRs) from SR1 for which products are certified to provides 10 minutes of resistance to an attacker using hand tools such as hammers, crowbars and hacksaws all the way up to SR6 which certifies resistance from attacks of 30 minutes using a variety of powerful mains operated power tools.
Products such as HAG’s Seceuroguard 1001 security gate is certified to Security Rating SR1. Do remember though that a product must be correctly installed and have an appropriate lock fitted to meet a given standard.
Security grilles may be fitted externally or internally. The UK insurers’ agency which is called RISC Authority advises that in general terms internal grilles are more secure than those fitted externally because they are protected to a degree by the building perimeter behind which they are fitted.
In normal operation, a security grille will be unlocked and retracted at the start of a business day and shut and locked once staff have departed at night. This is where good design makes operation by any member of staff and future maintainability easy. Such ease of operation is enabled through details such as nylon coated steel bearings and well-designed locking mechanisms.
Aesthetics are important because we don’t want an ugly security system to detract from the look of a building or store front. Ideally, any system should be attractive when closed and a near hidden as possible when retracted.
This is where a commercial security grille comes into its own because the grille sashes take up something in the order of only 15% of the surface area so allowing vision through the grille lattice when deployed. This means that in many cases they can remain in place during business hours.
Specifiers can select two shapes of lattice the standard ‘X’ lattice or an ‘S’ lattice on the Seceuroguard range and the lattices can be painted in a wide range of RAL colours to suit the environment.
Where aesthetics are crucial, such as mall or airport shop fronts then the HAG Ali Glyde offers vertical glazed panels supported by unobtrusive vertical aluminium bars.
When retracted to the sides or above the security grille will take up approximately 15% of the opening surface area which makes them relatively easy to conceal or ceiling spaces if required. The bottom track can be either be built into the floor, or if surface mounted can be folded away to leave a totally flat floor through an entrance.
It is this vision-through aspect of security grilles that is often an important safety element of their application. In some circumstance security personnel or fire officers have a requirement to be able to see into premises to confirm that an internal fire is not present and that no personnel are trapped in a locked building.
Considering each of these four elements for the protection of your premises will help you select the correct specification of the wide range of security grilles on the market. However, if require more information or advice, please contact our expert technical sales team without obligation on 0800 072 3444.
HAG offers a wide range of products and services, if you would like further information call 0800 072 3444 now to speak to a member of our team.
