VHS publishes Safety Guidelines for sale and manufacture of cylinders and keys

Manufacturers and suppliers of cylinders and keys are regularly confronted with the fact that it is very easy to have keys made for cylinders. So easy, in fact, that sometimes it is enough to provide a key number by e-mail in order to receive a copy of the key.

With today's sophisticated equipment, it is possible to copy most keys. Because keys are critical components of the security of homes and buildings, after all, with the right key you can walk right in, it is essential that copies of keys be handled with great care.

The members of the VHS have often made individual arrangements for those cases where they have allowed companies to have keys and cylinders remanufactured. Cylinders and keys are fine mechanical/mechatronic products that have a protected profile and in many cases come with a certificate or with a patent. Remanufacturing these products without permission is punishable by law.

Behind the production of cylinders and keys are complex calculation methods to ensure that similar cylinders used in (larger) construction projects cannot be opened with the same key. Therefore, these products are often provided with a code or number, with which the correct key profile can be traced. This makes it easy for entitled parties, such as housing corporations who often deal with replacement and reordering, to reorder the correct cylinder/key.

In order to assist in the sale and manufacture of cylinders and keys, the members of the VHS have drawn up security guidelines for companies that sell and/or manufacture cylinders and (copy) keys. It has been agreed that members will at least use these guidelines if they give permission to third parties to produce cylinders and/or (copy) keys.

The guideline was published today and is available for download on the VHS website via this link.