PART Q FOR THE TIMBER WINDOW & DOOR INDUSTRY EXPLAINED

03 November 2020

The introduction of Part Q in our industry has had an effect like no other regulation previously. There is a lot of confusion out there about what is relevant. We’d like to address this by providing joiners with the correct information and help you make informed decisions.

So how do you comply with Part Q?

To be able to produce joinery to comply with this regulation your windows or doors have to be tested to PAS24. Very few joineries have tested their windows independently because of the expense and development time needed. You’ll see this overwhelming amount of expense, time and pressure to conform to this regulation and may wonder what help is available to you.

What help is available?

You will need to provide documented evidence that the windows and doors you are supplying conform to a PAS24 test. This can be provided by your hardware supplier and presented to Building Control. However the are 2 tests that you need to be made aware of. One is PAS24:2012 the other is PAS24:2016, below we compare the two.

PAS24:2012 (INDICATIVE TEST)

V

PAS24:2016 (FULL UKAS APPROVED TEST)

These tests can be cascaded down to windows and doors smaller than that tested, providing the type of window and hardware used is the same as stated in the test.

Cascading of the 2012 test has been and still is used to conform to Part Q regulations even though it has been withdrawn, as stated by ‘Secure by Design’ and ‘British Standards’ (both independent bodies) This is due to the introduction of the more comprehensive PAS24:2016 test.

All the PVC companies that cascade Part Q had 2 years of the PAS24:2016 test being published to conform to the new test and be able to cascade. So WHY would your supplier not renew their test data to conform to the 2016 test? The reason is quite simple, their test is ‘indicative’ and not a full UKAS approved test.

A UKAS Test (please see below references) has to be audited so when the updated standard PAS24:2016 test was published, every company that had a PAS24:2012 test would have to retest to the new standard to keep complying.

An indicative test is not UKAS approved, so will not be audited and in turn never updated to the NEW standards. UKAS is fully independent.

Please see illustrations of the most significant difference between the 2012 and 2016 tests.

What is an Indicative test?

Usually an indicative test is for a manufacturer to test out their windows and doors before going to the full comprehensive (more rigorous) UKAS approved testing.

What is Part Q?

Approved Document Q: Security – Dwellings, also known as Part Q of the Building Regulations, was published in March 2015 and it came into effect on 1 October 2015. It states that all easily accessible doors and windows supplied to new-build properties must comply with certain security requirements.

What is UKAS?

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the sole national accreditation body for the United Kingdom. UKAS is recognised by the government, to assess against internationally agreed standards, organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.

What is PAS24?

PAS 24 is a set of tests designed to assess the security of doors and windows against the effects of an opportunistic burglar. It is not designed to defend against a professional crook. The 2012 test was superseded by the 2016 test.The significant difference between the 2012 and 2016 test was that the 2016 had to be compromised by a cylindrical 50mm bar where as the 2012 test would fail if the body block of 450mm by 250mm could gain access (representing a persons torso) as you can see that the 2016 test is much more difficult to achieve than the 2012.

SO WHY IS THE 2012 TEST DATA STILL BEING USED?

RESUORCES
Below are links to resources regarding PAS24:2016 and the withdrawal of PAS24:2012

BRITISH STANDARD

SECURE BY DESIGN

THE CRIME PREVENTION WEBSITE