The Master Locksmiths Association and Sold Secure

As one of London’s longest serving independently run businesses, and one of the most renowned security specialists in the region, it is incredibly important to us here at Barry Bros Security to make sure that our standards remain at the highest level possible at all times.

Our extensive repertoire of official accreditations provides our customers with complete reassurance of our commitment in this respect. We wrote a post a while back about our accreditations and what they mean for our customers. One of these was our position as qualified and certified Master Locksmiths, accredited by the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA).

In this post we thought we’d take a closer look at what our MLA membership means, and why for customers it is beneficial to use an MLA approved company. We’re also exploring the Sold Secure scheme, something that as a security customer you should find of interest.

What is the Master Locksmiths Association?

The Master Locksmith’s Association works to promote skill and ethics within the locksmith industry. Under their licensing system, we are required to undergo periodic inspections and vetting, and we have to hold an exam based qualification.

The MLA is the leading trade association for the locksmith industry. It is a not-for-profit organisation with around 1,400 members, established in 1958. The MLA is the authority body for locksmith expertise by a number of organisations. These include:

• The Police – many police forces will encourage use of an MLA member when in need of a locksmith
• The Home Office – The MLA is behind extensive campaigning for national standards in the locksmith industry, and the regulation of the private security industry
• The British Standards Institute – A panel of MLA members is supplied to assess locks under certain standards
• The European Locksmiths Association – The MLA represents the UK locksmith industry within this European association

Using an MLA member is a guarantee of reassurance that the member company consistently proves it can meet exceptional levels of knowledge, ability and service standards.

As the MLA says itself, ‘standards of entry to the MLA are high’ and the organisation is determined to ‘ensure that the public, government and industry receive the correct service and advice on security matters from its members’.

Sold Secure

Sold Secure is a company owned by the MLA. It is run independently with the aim of certifying security products using manual attack testing so that the risk of crime can be reduced.

The scheme works closely with police forces and insurers, who feed in valuable data on the methods of theft and the tools used to commit crimes in certain areas. This information allows the security product testing to be thoroughly relevant in light of modern tools and techniques used by criminals.

Only products which have been tested and approved by Sold Secure may carry the Sold Secure Quality Mark. Sold Secure Approval has three levels of classification: Gold, Silver and Bronze, plus an additional Diamond level for certain tracker, cylinder and caravan security locks. The higher the grading (with bronze being the lowest), the higher the security grading offered by the product.

The Sold Secure Approved Product list offers more in-depth information about the products that have been tested and approved under the scheme. It does not however guarantee that these products will be 100 per cent effective when it comes to fighting crime, or that certain products are suitable for particular applications. Suitability of products in individual situations is something that is down to the security specialist who is selling them to provide expert advice on.

The scheme operated by Sold Secure is recognised by the Home Office, the Police and insurers. All the product testers are industry experts and most are MLA members. Testing is carried out to the organisation’s own high specifications developed amongst relevant industry bodies.

Barry Bros Security: Your Trusted, Accredited Master Locksmith

If you are seeking an accredited, qualified insurance industry specialist, look no further than Barry Bros Security. We offer an extensive range of domestic and commercial security solutions and products, including products that carry the Sold Secure badge of approval.

For tailored advice on any security matter, you are welcome to get in touch, or visit us in person at our friendly London security showroom.