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BS EN 1303 – Locking Cylinders Legislation

THE STANDARD
The full title of the European standard is “Building hardware – Cylinders for locks – Requirements and test methods”. Copies can be obtained from:

British Standards Institution Customer Services
389 Chiswick High Road,
London
W4 4AL
Tel +44 (0)20 8996 9001
Email: orders@bsi-global.com

SCOPE
a) The European standard to which this document relates, applies to cylinders intended for use on locks in buildings. It identifies: 

  • One grade for category of use 
  • Three grades of durability
  • Two grades of fire resistance
  • Four grades of corrosion and temperature resistance
  • Six grades of key related security based on design requirements
  • Three grades of attack resistance based on mechanical performance tests

b) The suitability of cylinders for use on fire/smoke door assemblies is determined by two factors. Fire performance tests conducted in addition to the mechanical performance testing required by the European standard. Suitability for use on fire resisting doors may not be essential in every situation.

c) On occasions, there may be a need for additional functions within the design of the cylinder not covered by the European standard. In such cases, purchasers should ensure that the products are suitable for their intended use. This is particularly important when the operation of such additional functions is safety related.

SPECIFICATION ISSUES
1) All members of the EEA (European Economic Area) use the same product standard.
2) Products complying with the European standard provide peace of mind and evidence of professional specification.
3) Product selection should be made on the basis of the building use, occupancy and particular application.

CLASSIFICATION
BS EN 1303: 2005 classifies cylinders for locks using an 8 digit coding system. A broadly similar classification system is used for other building hardware product standards. Each digit refers to a particular feature of the product measured against the standard’s performance requirements.

Digit 1 – Category of use
One category is identified:
Grade 1: Keys shall resist a torque of 2.5 Nm and still be usable.

Digit 2 – Durability
Three grades are identified according to the number of test cycles achieved:
Grade 4: 25 000 cycles
Grade 5: 50 000 cycles
Grade 6: 100 000 cycles

Digit 3 – Door mass
No requirement.

Digit 4 – Fire resistance
Two grades are identified as follows:-
Grade 0: not suitable for fire/smoke resistant door assemblies
Grade 1: suitable for fire/smoke resistant door assemblies subject to satisfactory assessment of the contribution of the cylinder to the fire resistance of the specified fire/smoke door assemblies. Such assessment is beyond the scope of this European standard (see EN 1634-1).

Digit 5 – Safety
No requirement.

Digit 6 – Corrosion and temperature resistance
Four grades are identified as follows:-
Grade 0: no corrosion or temperature resistance requirements
Grade A: BS EN 1670 Grade 3 corrosion resistance (96 hours NSS): no temperature resistance requirement
Grade B: No corrosion resistance requirement: resistance to -20/+80°C temperature extremes
Grade C: BS EN 1670 Grade 3 corrosion resistance: resistance to -20/+80°C temperature extremes.

Digit 7 – Key related security
Six grades are identified and the principal requirements are summarised in Table 7.

Digit 8 – Attack resistance
Three grades are identified and the principal requirements are summarised in Table 8.

CE MARKING

BS EN 1303 has not been designated as a harmonised product standard under the Construction Products Directive. Therefore, CE marking of cylinders to this standard is NOT permitted.

For more information and guidance on CE marking, take a look at our blog piece: Creating Clarity Around CE Marking.