42
JUNE 2016 PRO INSTALLER
SAFETY & SECURITY
www.proinstaller.co.uk
BRITS NEED TO DO MORE
TO SECURE THEIR HOMES
More than half the UK population
are very concerned about their
houses being burgled, but Brits are
only taking very basic measures to
protect their properties, according
to new research.
53% of Brits said that they were worried
about their homes being broken into, with
47% of these saying it is a regular concern
and 6% admitting that they worry about it
all the time.
However, when asked what forms of
home security they have in place, the majority of home owners admit they only use
basic security measures such as locks (87%)
and security lights (52%).
Burglar alarms are the third most common form of home security (40%) but
when it comes to more advanced technology such as CCTV only 16% have this
installed.
The study of 1,000 people, conducted
by IronmongeryDirect, was undertaken to
find out Brits’ views on home security and
investigate how secure their homes really
are. It found that over a third of people
(34%) have had their home broken into in
the past five years, with 9% having been
a victim more than once. And nearly half
(43%) knew someone else in their neighbourhood who had been burgled.
London has come out as the top spot for
burglary as 56% of people living in this
area have had their home broken into.
Despite these figures, the study fou nd
that two-thirds of the population (62%)
actually felt safe and secure in their homes,
with those living in the North West claiming to feel the safest (93%). The area where
people felt least safe was the West Mid-
lands, with just over a quarter of people
admitting they felt safe in their homes.
Despite the research indicating a somewhat lax approach to home security,
perhaps because many people feel safe in
their homes, the majority of homeowners
(68%) said they would consider installing
smart security products such as Smartphone alarms and CCTV. And 62% would
be willing to spend more than £100 on
home security products.
Wayne Lysaght-Mason, managing director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “Everyone
has the right to feel safe
in their own home, and
it’s saddening to hear
that so many people
are concerned about the
threat of burglary.
“To ensure a home is
secure, it’s really important
that property owners take
measures to properly protect
it, and invest in a range of quality
security products to prevent the risk of
burglary. There are a number of security
solutions that can provide high levels of
security and give property owners peace
of mind. There is certainly demand from
our customers for high security products
such as wireless alarm kits that are simple
to install, door viewers which make it
easier to identify visitors, secure gates
and fencing to protect the grounds of the
property, windows bars, and CCTV camera
systems.”
For more information, visit www.
IronmongeryDirect.co.uk/home-security
CRANE SAFETY
STANDARD REVISED
Business standards company BSI has revised ‘BS 7121-1 Code of
practice for safe use of cranes. General.’ This is one part of the
BS 7121 suite of standards for safety in crane use, used by those
planning and carrying out lifting operations with cranes in the UK.
It provides guidance on
complying with the requirements of both the Lifting
Operations and Lifting
Equipment Regulations
(1998) and the Provision
and use of Work Equipment
Regulations (1998) and is
used by both the Health and
Safety Executive and the
courts as an indication of
good practice.
Following the guidance assists
with mitigating the risk of acci-
dents, injuries and fatalities during
the set-up, use and maintenance
of cranes.
BS 7121-1 gives recommendations for the safe use of cranes
permanently or temporarily
installed in a work environment.
Subjects covered include safe systems of work, selection, erection
and dismantling, maintenance,
inspection, thorough examination,
operation, and the planning and
management of lifting operations.
It is not applicable to the use of
cranes as part of a fully automated
storage or production system.
Anthony Burd Head of Sector,
Built Environment at BSI said:
“The health and safety of those
using cranes or being in an environment where they operate,
is vitally important. It has to be
stressed that without guidance
such as the BS 7121 suite anyone
carrying out, or being near lifting
operations could be at far greater
risk of accidents or injuries asso-
ciated with the use of cranes. It is
therefore imperative that revisions
occur to the standards and the
BS 7121 suite has seen significant
changes so that all parts can work
in harmony. In this case BS 7211-1
has been fully revised to ensure
safe lifting practices.”
www.bsigroup.com