Posted May 11th, 2011 | No Comments
Having been in business for over 20 years and a qualified Master Locksmith I am regularly asked why I always recommend the use of restricted keys when supplying locks to both Commercial and Domestic customers, in a wide variety of situations.
I, on the other hand am constantly amazed by people who leave themselves wide open to burglary by someone who has had access to a set of keys, eirther at home or at work and have had the opportunity to have those keys copied.
Most businesses and homes are locked by keys which can be readily copied at any convenient locksmith shop or heel bar, where the operators of those businesses are not obliged even to ask for proof of identity, never mind actual ownership of or right to access before making the copy.
Most people don’t consider the consequences of lending out a key; how many times have you left a key to your home with a neighbour while you you are away on holiday, or a cleaner, decorator or workman doing work while you are out? How many employees are key holders to their places of work, either officially or just for convenience?
In all the instances above, if the keys in question were not restricted then it’s possible they could have been copied, again for reasons of convenience or for purposes less than honest! It may not have been the person who you thought was in control of the keys that made the copies but someone else.
The fact is YOU DON”T KNOW!!
Restricted keys are available for most applications where locks are used to secure premisses, for use on wooden doors, uPVC doors, composite doors, aluminium shop door and padlocks for all kinds of use and can cost little more than locks that utilise unrestricted keys.
Some locks are extremely robust and provide adequate deterent against forced entry when ‘brute force’ is used but offer little deterence when locked by an Un-Restricted Key which can be copied without the owners consent or knowledge and used to simply unlock the door, often invalidating any insurance cover the owner may have because it becomes hard to prove that the ‘Minimum Insurance Requirement’ was met as there will be no sign of forced entry!
Typical applications where Restricted Keys enhance the security already in place:
- At home, if you ever allow other people to hold keys on your behalf (ANYONE!)
- At work, if you own a business and members of your staff hold keys.
- Churches/Schools/Youth Clubs/Sports Clubs or any situation where there are multiple key-holders.
- Landlords who let properties, commercial or domestic.
- Any situation where you might want to retain control of who has a key to your premises.
Retaining control of the keys and consequently the access to your property, whether at home or at work should be at the top of your list when considering security, it is fundamental and much easier than you might think!
Contact any Master Locksmith’s Approved Company for advice and remember advice should cost NOTHING!
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when considering your security needs. You can be assured that our trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
You can contact Authorized Access by e-mail or phone 0161 762 9936 for further information and a quotation.
Tags: Authorized Access, Business security, Crime prevention, High security locks, Home security, Key Control, Minimum Insurance Requirement, Multiple key holders, Restricted keys, security in schools, Security keys, Security Locks, security solutions | Posted in Security Advice |
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Posted April 22nd, 2010 | No Comments
Securing your home or business against crime need not be an expensive or time consuming exercise.
Restricted key systems are available for home use as well as business. Restricted keys enhance the security provided by any lock and without them, even ‘high security’ locks can be compromised by the keys being copied at random with little or no control.
At Authorized Access we can fit a security lock to your door then register its keys to you; this stops duplicate keys being cut without your knowledge or say so and provides you with total control of the keys to your home or business.
Restricted keys allow you to provide a tradesperson the key to your home and as long as you get it back, you know they will have been unable to obtain copies. At work, staff issued with keys to premises are unable to have extra keys cut without your express permission, again giving you total control over who has access to your premises.
Where would this be useful?
- Business premises with multiple key holders.
- At home where keys are made available to cleaners, tradesmen etc.
- Any situation where key control is required.
Looking after property, stock and the people who work within the business makes great business sense. Being responsible for the security in your business, it is vital that you make sure that the security measures taken are appropriate, realistic and cost effective. You need to keep criminals out while allowing your customers, suppliers and employees in.
Your business activity will guide your approach to security. In simple terms, high value products will attract more criminal activity and demand a higher level of security, however even those items with a perceived low cost value will be attractive to somebody. Taking a logical approach to securing your business will help ensure you don’t miss anything that might help deter crime. “In the current climate, the effect of interruption to business is greater than ever before.
By changing the locks you can guarantee that you are in total control of who has keys to your property
Choosing a Lock- Things to consider:
- Insurance requirements-Does your lock need to conform to British standards for insurance purposes BS3621
- One Key House/Business – Would I like all my locks to be operated by one key? This avoids having bulky key rings, never loose the back door key again!
- Master Keying of locks- makes great business sense. Only give access to areas of your business to people that need to be there.
- Speciality Locks- Do I need locks for a special purpose eg escape function.
- High Security Locks- Do I need locks with enhanced security features eg Restricted keys, having control of who can copy your keys, locks with anti pick and anti bump features.
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when considering restricted keys as a means of securing your property, where you can be assured that trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
For assistance contact http://www.authorized-access.co.uk/contact-us or call 0161 762 9936, where our fully trained staff will guide you through the process.
Tags: High security locks, Home security, Master Keys, Master Locksmith, Restricted keys, Security keys, Security Locks | Posted in Security Advice |
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