Allianz Insurance plc Home Security Home
Home Security Protecting Your Home It can take very little time for a thief to gain entry into your home. The trauma of your home being ransacked and your possessions being stolen or damaged is devastating. Insurance can ease the financial burden but not the mental anxiety which follows. It is for this reason that you should do all you can to prevent a burglary in the first place. The use of good quality locks, together with simple common sense measures will deter the majority of thieves. Most thieves are opportunists looking for an open window or poorly secured door usually during the day when occupants are at work or away. Taking simple yet effective steps to improve your security will discourage thieves from choosing YOUR home as their target. Although we encourage all Policyholders to improve the security of their home there are circumstances where we will insist that certain security measures are followed. For example, particular higher risk postcodes or those with an above average Contents sum insured. In addition to the Allianz Recommended Minimum Standard of Security we sometimes ask for the installation of a safe or an intruder alarm system.
Security Tips 1 Install and use locks following the Allianz Recommended Minimum Standard of Security as detailed on the following pages. Never leave keys in the lock hanging inside a letterbox or hidden outside the home. 2 When upstairs avoid leaving doors and windows open downstairs. 3 Don t leave small valuables, money, handbags, wallets and purses where they can be easily seen from outside. 4 If you go out in the evening leave a light on in a living room or bedroom. Leaving an outside or landing light on is not sufficient, the home must look lived in. 5 Never leave ladders or tools lying around, these will encourage an opportunist thief. 6 Close and lock all garages, sheds and other outbuildings. 7 Join a local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme or consider starting one in your area. 8 Don t let strangers into your home unless they give you official proof of their identity. If you are suspicious, telephone the company concerned for verification while your caller waits outside behind the locked front door. 9 Remember to cancel milk and newspaper deliveries before you go on holiday and ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your home and leave a spare key with them. 10 Keep a record of your possessions, for example the serial numbers of televisions and video recorders, and use a security marker which writes in invisible ink to mark your postcode and house number (this ink can only be read under ultraviolet light). 11 Take photographs of jewellery and any other valuable or unusual items. Photographs are an enormous help to the Police for identifying stolen property and returning it to the rightful owner. 1
Recommended Minimum Standard of Security 1 Main External Door (i.e the front door or the door by which you most frequently enter and exit your home) This door should be fitted with either: 1. The final exit door is to be fitted with i) a mortise dead lock of 5 or more levers or ii) a suitable lock complying with British Standard 3621 or iii) a 3 bolt multi point locking system. 2. All other external doors, unless secured as in 1 above, shall be fitted with top and bottom mortise or surface mounted bolts with detachable keys. A mortice deadlock is fitted inside the door itself and can be key operated from both sides of the door. If you live in a FLAT or MAISONETTE which is above ground level the lock on the door must be capable of being opened quickly in the event of a fire. Locks are available that conform to the latest BS8621 standard. This is the same as BS3621 but allows escape at all times. If the door is less than 45mm (13/4 inches) thick the locks described above may not be suitable. Please ask for advice or consult a member of the Master Locksmiths Association (trade division), see www.locksmiths.co.uk. 2 Other External Doors (these would usually include side, back or integral garage doors) These doors should be fitted with either: A deadlocking rimlock is mounted on the surface of the door and can be key operated from both sides of the door. Rimlocks sometimes lock automatically when the door is shut but can also be locked with a key from the inside. any lock as in 1 above OR if the door is UPVC or aluminium the manufacturers multi-point locking device is acceptable provided it has a minimum of 3 locking points 3 Windows All ground floor windows (including fanlights and skylights) and accessible windows on other floors, e.g.near drainpipes or adjoining single storey extensions to be fitted with key operated locks or bolts with detachable keys. Key-operated security bolts. Louvred glass is not a secure form of glazing where the window is accessible from the outside and they should be replaced. If the windows are UPVC or aluminium the manufacturers multi point locking device or locking handles are acceptable. Key operated locks or bolts with detachable keys. 2
4 Double External Doors for example, french windows These doors should be fitted with: key operated locks or bolts (either morticed into the door itself or mounted on the surface) at the top and bottom of the first closing leaf, the bolts shooting vertically down into the sill and up into the lintel. AND either: a mortice deadlock complying with the latest British Standard 3621 OR a rim automatic deadlock complying with the latest British Standard 3621 (i.e locks automatically when the door is shut but is also lockable by a key from the inside) OR if the door is UPVC or aluminium the manufacturers multi-point locking device is acceptable provided it has a minimum of 3 locking points Before Leaving Your Home Unattended: Put all security devices into operation Close and lock all windows Remove keys from locks and put them out of sight When Retiring for the Night: Put all security devices into operation Keys should be left in any mortice lock for fire escape purposes Windows in occupied bedrooms may be left open for ventilation Secure by Design This is a Police initiative to improve security and houses built to this specification will usually automatically comply with the Allianz Recommended Minimum Standard of Security. 5 Patio Sliding Doors These doors should be fitted with: two key operated security bolts at the top and bottom of the sliding door in addition to an existing deadlock if the door is UPVC or aluminium the manufacturers multi-point locking device is acceptable provided it has a minimum of 3 locking points. 6 Outbuildings and Garages These must be fitted with a mortice deadlock and/or a padlock and padbar, the padbar must be bolted through a secure good condition mounting point. 3
Other Security Measures The following are not part of the Allianz Recommended Minimum Standard of Security but do provide valuable additional protection. 1 Security Lighting Passive infra red lighting activated by movement deters burglars as well as giving useful lighting to the owner. Ideally this should be fitted at the rear and front of a house. 2 Door Viewer A wide angled door viewer fitted into the door allows you to see callers before opening the door. 3 Door Chain or a device that restricts opening A strong sturdy door chain or an opening restrictor allows you to identify callers from within the protection of your home. 4 Time Switches These give the appearance that the house is occupied even when it is not, i.e lights can be switched on and off at preset times. 5 Intruder Alarms Sometimes we may require an intruder alarm with an annual maintenance contract by an approved installer as a condition of providing cover. In such circumstances we will require sight of the system design proposal for approval before installation goes ahead. 6 Safes A safe can be used to protect smaller valuables such as jewellery and small items of silverware. There are two main types of safe, freestanding and underfloor. A member of the Master Locksmiths Association (trade division) will advise on the best type for your circumstances. Safes are good additional protection but are no substitute for good quality locks on doors and windows. Sometimes we may require a safe as a condition of providing cover. In such circumstances we will require sight of the safe specification for approval before installation goes ahead. 7 Gun Cabinets All guns and ammunition, where required by law, should be stored in line with the latest Home Office guidelines and within gun safes/cabinets conforming to the latest BS7558 standard. These should be installed and maintained by an installer approved by either the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) or the Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (SSAIB). These are the UK regulatory bodies and all approved/registered firms undergo rigorous inspection of their technical and managerial standards and must operate within strict guidelines. There are various types of intruder alarm signalling methods, the installer will advise the most appropriate for your home. If you do have an alarm installed always set it when your home is unoccupied. Alarms give valuable protection but are no substitute for good quality locks on doors and windows. 4
www.allianz.co.uk Allianz Insurance plc. Registered in England number 84638. Registered Office: 57 Ladymead, Guildford, Surrey GU1 1DB, United Kingdom. Allianz Insurance plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Allianz Insurance plc is on the Financial Services Register, registration number 121849. ACPER116/7 08.13