Assuring protection against forced entry

Having considered the threats, vulnerabilities and risks to an asset; whether a person, people or items; a common risk management strategy involves improving the physical barriers used to protect the asset - commonly referred to as 'target hardening'. This may include retrofit upgrades of existing measures, the deployment of replacement measures such as windows, doors and walling, or the deployment of secondary measures such as grilles, barsets, security blinds or secondary glazing systems.

But how do those responsible for determining what equipment to deploy determine which products will deliver the protection they require to address the threats, risks and vulnerabilities identified?

With over 95% of security products fail to deliver the performance manufacturers expect when first submitted for testing, diligent specifiers will understandably turn to third-party certified products for greater assurance. However, it is vitally important that certification has been issued by a suitably qualified and experienced third party and is to a standard that is appropriate and proportionate to the threats and risks identified.

LPS 1673 supports the decision making process by providing a proportionate means to specify and benchmark a product's capacity to resist violent forced entry attempts.

Assuring protection against forced entry

What is LPS 1673 and how does it assure protection against violent forms of forced entry?

LPS 1673 addresses the threat of bladed weapons and blunt impact tools being used to commit violent intrusion attempts with a complete disregard to the level and extent of noise generated.

This Loss Prevention Standard defines a matrix style system for classifying the attack resistance offered by products intended to delay violent intrusion events involving a single intruder wishing to either:

do harm to a high-profile individual during a targeted attack,
do harm to several people during a marauding attack, or
use smash-and-grab techniques to target valuables on display either within a store front or within a display case.

Attack Ratings in LPS 1673

LPS 1673 offers a range of Attack Ratings (AR), in a similar way to the widely-recognised LPS 1175.

There are differences, however.

The Attack Ratings defined in LPS 1673 consist of a series of elements. These include, in order:

the letters ‘AR’ indicating it is an Attack Rating, differentiating the declared performance from that relating to other Loss Prevention Standards;
a letter (A to D) corresponding with the threat level;
a numeric value (30, 60, 120, 180, 240 or 300) corresponding to the minimum delay the product can deliver in seconds;
and an optional ‘E’ suffix indicating the product also resists attacks involving a fire extinguisher.

Proportionate specification

LPS 1673 supports proportionate specification and a layered approach to security on a building, complementing other Loss Prevention Standards, such as LPS 1175, to provide a comprehensive framework for delivering holistic protection against violent intrusion attempts of the level identified during the threat and risk assessment. While LPS 1175 considers a product's intruder resistance, LPS 1673 considers a product's attack resistance.

The standard draws on extensive research conducted by the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), the UK government’s national technical authority for physical and personnel protective security. LPS 1673 has alsobeen recognised in the NPSA's Forced Entry Standards Guide and Secured by Design’s 2025 Design Guides for Residential (Homes) and Non-Residential (Commercial) premises.

Which product types does LPS 1673 cover?

LPS 1673 supports the specification of a wide array of product types, enabling specifiers to deploy holistic layers of protection formed from multiple features - whether gates and fences around the perimeter, windows and doors within the building's façade, or internal walls and doors forming secure refuges within a property. As with LPS 1175, LPS 2081, and LPS 1214, achieving certification to LPS 1673 is a thorough process. All products that meet the requirements of LPS 1673 have undergone rigorous third-party testing and evaluation and are subject to ongoing surveillance audits to ensure their effectiveness.

LPS 1673 is instrumental in helping manufacturers demonstrate that their products can withstand planned and opportunistic forced entry attempts. Selecting LPS 1673 certified solutions, and ensuring an integrated approach to physical security measures, provides increased confidence in residential security.

Richard Flint - BRE's Technical and Commercial Lead for Physical Security

We received fantastic feedback from a wide range of stakeholders during the standard's development, with some commenting on how critical it was, filling a gap in the palette of standards available to them by addressing the threat of forced entry by those selecting tools not only with aim to gain access but with the intent to use the tools selected to do harm to others. It addresses a very different psyche to other standards published before it, whether PAS24 at the one end of the spectrum and LPS 1175 at the other.

– Richard Flint - BRE's Technical and Commercial Lead for Physical Security

All Loss Prevention Standards, including LPS 1673,

All Loss Prevention Standards, including LPS 1673, and products certified to the standard are publicly available to view on RedBookLive, making it an essential reference for specifiers, regulators, designers and end users of security related products and services.

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LPS 1673 infographic

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LPCB product certification process

Certification (or approval) is independent third party confirmation that a product or system meets and continues to meet the appropriate standard. BRE Global offers independent third party certification to existing British, European, International and its own Loss Prevention Standards (LPSs) or Schedules of Requirements.

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