EU Standards

EN 50131 - European Standards for Intruder Alarm Systems

European Standards accepted by the Insurance industry and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) which installing companies now apply are considered better as they are 'risk based'.

The major differences between EN 50131 and BS 4737 are:

  • Structured standards
  • Grading of systems
  • Classification of equipment
  • Risk based

This provides a structured approach to:

  • Assessment of risk
  • Technical survey
  • System design
  • Installation of the system in accordance with agreed specification
  • Installation of equipment in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations

One of the major differences in the European Standards is the grading of systems.

The grading of a system based on a structured risk analysis will determine the:

  • Extent of the system
  • Signalling
  • Tamper security

Within the new European Standards there are four security grades:

  • Grade 1 - low risk
  • Grade 2 - low to medium risk
  • Grade 3 - medium to high risk
  • Grade 4 - high risk

European Standards also include the classification of components that are used for the intruder alarm system installations.