With summer holidays being an opportune time for thieves and vandals to target empty school buildings, The Master Locksmiths Association – the leading trade association for the locksmithing industry – is advising schools to use the spring term to review security, assess for damage to buildings and plan ahead for any necessary work to be undertaken in plenty of time.
With the summer holidays a time when theft and vandalism incidents can increase, the spring term is the ideal time to check over security and safety - Dr Steffan George, Development Director of the Master Locksmith Association
Development Director of the Master Locksmith Association, Dr Steffan George says: “We know many schools prefer to undertake maintenance work in holiday time. But with the summer holidays a time when theft and vandalism incidents can increase, the spring term is the ideal time to check over security and safety and arrange for any upgrades to be made [in the Easter and May holidays / ahead of the summer].”
With a few simple steps, you can make sure your school will be more secure during the summer months:
A professional MLA-approved locksmith can carry out a security and safety assessment on all locks and access routes, advising you on suitable fittings. It’s important to ensure that they not only provide a good level of security, but also meet insurance requirements.
Dr Steffan George continued: “Make sure to check the credentials of any locksmith. By using an MLA-approved locksmith you can be confident they are vetted, undergo regular inspections to ensure quality, and employ locksmiths with a recognised exam based proof of competence.”
Finally, while security is an important consideration in any school, safety is the primary concern. Checks should include verifying the functionality of fire doors, checking emergency exit doors have the correct escape hardware, are working correctly and are not compromised, checking all signage and fire risk assessments are in place and, where necessary, updating fire risk assessments. An MLA approved locksmith can work with you to assist in making sure a building is safe as well as secure in accordance with existing fire regulation.
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