What is LPS1175 & SR Rating?

What is LPS 1175 and what is an SR Rating?

SR Ratings and LPS 1175 is the requirements and testing procedures for the LPCB approval. A listing of intruder resistant building components, strong points, security enclosures and also free-standing barriers, fencing and gates.

LPS 1175 covers the broadest scope of physical security products and services of any publicly available standard in the world. LPS 1175 is the result of many years of work by LPCB, UK Government, Insurers and also Police. It has rapidly become a core element of physical security specification across many sectors.

The standard comprises a number of security ratings with test requirements of ascending intensity. These are measured in terms of attack tools and also time available to the attacker. This enables specifiers to select products according to the risks that they and their property face.

LPS 1175 used in a range of applications, from residential right through to critical infrastructure projects.

Products provide resistance to extreme means of attempted forced entry into higher value areas.

Under Issue 7 – Security Ratings would be listed as follows

• SR1 & SR2 Rated Products – Provide the minimum levels of recognised resistance to opportunist attempts at forced entry using a range of techniques including those that create noise such as those involving breaking glass.
• SR3 Rated Products – Provide moderate resistance to determined attempts of force entry using a range of techniques including those that involve creation of noise.
• SR4 & 5 Rated Products – Resist experienced attempts at forced entry using a wide range of tools including battery powered tools lasting up to 10 minutes depending on the security rating sought.
• SR6-8 – are not relevant to fencing and gates

These ratings are often still quoted but with release of Issue 8 the rating descriptions have changed. So for example; when tested to Issue 7 our Super10 product achieved the minimum necessary delay with category A+B tools to be certified to SR2. That minimum delay was 3 mins. Now with issue 8 that is called B3 rating – tool set B and 3 minute delay.

The table below shows the Security Ratings and explains the resistance levels of ratings 1 to 4

LPS1175 provides a route for security fencing to be independently tested and graded. Each increment of security rating has additional attack tools and a longer test time. So to pass an SR3 test more onerous tools are utilised and the attackers have longer to breach the product. A breach is when a hole is created of sufficient size to pass through a special probe. The probe is 400x225mm and 300mm long.

The standard also gives minimum heights of the fence which increase with rating.

After a product has been successfully tested a detailed suite of drawings are agreed and approved this ensures that the products supplied fall within the scope of the tests. To ensure products are correctly described for sale and are manufactured to the same quality as those tested, all companies offering approved products are audited regularly for compliance. So the end user can be assured of a independently tested security product which has been built to exacting standards.

Products are tested as a system, so for example if a fence panel and post are successfully tested together and certified they can be supplied as an SR rated system – but the panel on its own would not be a certified product.

95% of products fail the testing process, proving just how stringent the requirements are. All products that have been tested and approved are listed in the RedBook Live so be wary of companies making claims such as ‘designed to LPS 1175 specifications’.