Unfortunately, vehicle-based attacks on buildings and infrastructure are becoming more frequent.
This means that it’s more important than ever to ensure that risk assessments cover not only intruders but also vehicle impacts.
As a result of this, many specifiers are rushing to choose a fence they believe to be capable of holding up vehicle attacks – such as LPS 1175 fencing.
LPS 1175 fencing is in fact not suitable for vehicle impact, which puts many premises in danger that their premises is not protected as intended.
This blog goes into detail about the dangers of installing a fence that isn’t fit for vehicle-impact, and the fences that can efficiently protect your premises.
What is LPS 1175?
The LPS 1175 is a widely recognized and trusted security standard. It is used extensively by architects, specifiers, and security professionals to ensure that physical security products meet rigorous standards.
The standard is administered by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) and through them products are awarded security ratings depending on their resistance to forced entry.
Since its introduction in 1999, LPS 1175 has become widely recognized and trusted by architects, specifiers, security professionals, and insurers as a benchmark for physical security.
The purpose of LPS 1175 is to provide a standardized way to test and certify the effectiveness of physical security products against forced entry.
Therefore, when specifying security fencing, LPS 1175 is a popular standard to adhere to.
However, this standard does not cover vehicle impact testing. By specifying this fence incorrectly, your business can be in danger of a successful vehicle-based attack and left unprotected from further vehicle impact. This can involve physical impacts such as the damage caused by vehicles, alongside personal danger and financial consequences.
To avoid this, it’s important to specify a fence that is vehicle impact tested in order to efficiently protect your premises.
What Is Vehicle Impact Testing?
Vehicle impact testing is a type of security testing that measures the ability of physical security products, such as bollards, barriers security fences, to withstand a vehicle collision.
This testing is designed to simulate real-world scenarios where a vehicle may be used as a weapon. Alternatively, this test covers instances where accidental impacts occur, which can still cause substantial damage to your premises.
During the testing process, a vehicle is driven at a controlled speed and angle towards the product being tested. The test determines whether the product is able to resist the impact and prevent the vehicle from penetrating. It also measures how far the penetration goes to further understand the level of protection needed.
Vehicle impact testing is an important consideration for security specifiers for several reasons.
First and foremost, it ensures that fences can provide effective security against the rising threat of vehicle-borne attacks.
In addition, vehicle impact testing is often required for compliance with various industry standards and regulations. For vehicle impact testing specifically, there isn’t a single universally recognized standard that applies to security fencing, bollards, barriers, etc. Instead, it depends on the specific requirements and regulations set by local authorities, organizations, or location. In the high security industry, there are three main impact testing standards; PAS 68, IWA 14 and ASTM 2656.
Without doing the appropriate research into vehicle impact tests, specifiers might be under the false impression that all standards cover this. This unfortunately results in inefficient fencing being specified for premises that might require HVM (Hostile Vehicle Mitigation) protection. HVM protection refers to measures and technologies implemented to prevent or mitigate the risks associated with hostile vehicle attacks.
Case Studies
At Barkers Fencing, we have become increasingly aware of the confusion around LPS 1175 and HVM protection.
In one case recently, the question “at what security rating does the LPS 1175 become a vehicle impact standard?” came up.
This standard never becomes efficient in testing vehicle impact, which is often assumed by specifiers.
In another case, the team at Barkers recently visited a site in Europe that had already specified one of our fences. The neighbouring site thought they had StronGuard RCS as per the agreement with our client.
Unfortunately, the neighbouring site had been ill-advised on their fencing choice by another provider.
They thought the LPS 1175 B3 fence they had was an anti-personnel fence with HVM protection, but this isn’t the case.
In fact, they had a fence that would stop a persistent attacker with mechanical tools for more than 3 minutes, but it would be far from guaranteed to stop a vehicle.
To be clear, whilst LPS 1175 is a trusted standard that specifiers should look out for when specifying fencing to prevent attackers, LPS 1175 only covers forced entry/anti-personnel.
The Dangers Of Specifying A Fence That Isn’t Efficiently Tested
Specifying a fence that isn’t crash rated, on a site that is in danger of this type of attack, can cause many significant issues explained in more detail below:
- Vulnerability to Vehicle-Borne Attacks:
Fences that aren’t crash rated are not designed to withstand the force of a vehicle impact, making them highly vulnerable to vehicle-based attacks. In the event of an attack, a fence that isn’t crash rated may not be able to prevent or delay vehicle entry, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences.
- Liability and Legal Issues:
An inadequate fence can result in serious liability and legal issues for the property owner, in the event of a security breach. Additionally, non-compliance with security standards can lead to insurance claims being denied or increase insurance premiums.
- Ineffective Security Measures:
Fences that aren’t designed to withstand vehicle impacts may present a false sense of security to occupants of a property. In the event of an attack, the fence would not perform the function it was intended for, leaving the occupants and property at risk.
- Lack of Compliance with Industry Standards:
Specifying a fence that is not crash rated may also result in failure to comply with industry standards that the fence is supposed to be adhering to.
We have published a blog on the dangers of wrongly specifying a security fence – read more here.
Which Standards Do Include Vehicle Impact?
For vehicle impact, the standards are PAS68, IWA14 or ASTM F2656/F2656M-20.
These standards all require a physical crash test.
If you are looking to mitigate the risk of forced entry or vehicle impact with your perimeter security and aren’t sure, please contact us for impartial advice to help you to find an appropriate solution.
For example, using a product such as our StronGuard™Beam could be the perfect solution for your security needs. The combined beam and security fence achieves hostile vehicle mitigation of a 7200kg vehicle travelling at 80kph (50mph), whilst providing physical protection against a forced entry with one of our many accredited systems.
At Barkers Fencing, we provide expert advice on the right security fence for your premises, to ensure you’re specifying an efficient product for you.