Well, I've been routinely making up Abus and Almont locks (SC keyway) with
3, 4 or 5 mushroom pins, going on the assumption that this makes it more difficult to pick them. Have I been wasting my time?I've also done some locks that way, ones where a picker would be somewhat hidden while he does his thing. Is this a waste of time too?
Ralph
If you are going to invest the time and energy in adding those extras to the lock, make sure that picking such a lock is the weakest point (easiest method of entry) for that given door... It is of little use if a person comes along and opens the door bypassing the lock altogether...
Some things to consider;
(1) A latch protector plate for outswinging doors (2) There are also interlocking metal strips for inswinging doors as well (3) A single continous security hinge (4) Sturdy door/wall construction
You really have to evaluate the conditions at the door you wish to enhance security wise by adding these pick-resistant pins... It would make you look foolish if you take such actions and then the door is opened without lockpicks at all...
Evan, ~~formerly a maintenance man, now a college student...
If you're rekeying the lock anyway, tossing a few mushroom/spool pins in doesn't take much more time.
Basically, it doesn't do any harm... except the obvious: It also makes emergency openings more difficult.
I have spool pins in my own door locks. But I also have the cuts memorized, so I don't have to deal with picking them if I need back in. (I also have keys cached with a friend, so I shouldn't even need to know the cuts, but ... belt and suspenders.)
All good things. But it isn't absolutely necessary to do an all-or-nothing, or to do it all at once.
Disagree, as long as you have discussed this with the customer. "Here are your points of vulnerability. Here's the cost to fix them to varying degrees. Pick your price point and/or specific concerns and I'll give you the best performance I can for that price, but security is always a matter of degree rather than an absolute and you'll understand the tradeoffs before you write the check."
If a burglary happens because the customer didn't fix a vulnerability I pointed out... well, the proper response is "Gee, I'm sorry, but I did tell you that. Are you ready to upgrade that now?"
I think I've mentioned before the comsumer show that tested a "super secure" latch by having Toru Tanaka try to kick the door? Prof. Tanaka, who was neither small nor puny nor lacking in skill, could not budge the door...
Then he kicked out the panel in the door right below the lock, reached through, unlocked the door, and walked through.
"Strong Lock!" he said, pointing to the hardware which had not kept him out...
rm
Another trick is shallow cuts behind a deep cut. This does drastically reduce the number of usable differs so is not practicable for lock manufacturers. Also it is only applicable to masterkey systems if the aggregate short bottom pin and spacer lengths are behind a long bottom pin.
Joe: You do make a vaild point about the all-or-none situation...
However, telling someone "Gee, I'm sorry, but I did tell you that..." Won't help you during a lawsuit unless you have a properly formatted and legally applicable waiver of liablity... Even if you "tell" them something you can still be sued unless you have them sign something acknowledging such information...
If you take only the jobs where someone gives you a complete waiver or lets you replace the entire entranceway, you'll go out of business fast.
If you do the job properly, you won't get into lawsuits very often and shouldn't have trouble defending yourself.
A properly formatted and legally applicable waiver of liability?
Where do you come about this knowledge? Did being a maintenance man give you such training? The only time I would ever think of asking a customer to sign a waiver of liability is if they were insisting that I try to open their car that I had said I didn't want to open as I didn't know how or have the right kind of tool or something.
Back in my security officer days... Is where I "came about" such knowledge... Never did anything for anyone unless they signed a waiver form...
Handy for:
Jumpstarting cars Unlocking car doors
Although I inever had an incident with anything going wrong, many of my co-workers did beause they would try to rush through what they were doing... They waiver of liablity saved our asses in the event something went wrong... 9 times out of 10 when something did get broken the client management (our boss) would pay for repairs anyway (it is really bad for a busniess's image when they have all kinds of lawsuits filed against them, even small ones, and they cost monsy for attorneys to go and file responses and appear in court on their behalf)...
Such forms were also useful later on as a maintenance technician as well, as when one of us "unskilled workers" discovered a condition inside a rented area that needed to be repaired but the tenant for whatever reason didn't want to pay for such repairs... Everything about property management isn't about what you know, or even what you say, its all about what you can prove on paper...
Anyone here who feels that a conversation with a customer over some matter of security is an adequate way of informing them that by "cheaping out" and who allows a customer to select a degree of repair or installation that is inadequate based solely in the customer's desire for a lower "price point" should really make sure that they inform such customers in writing of any consequences of their decision to be cheap and have the customer sign such a notice... (The company I used to work for liked to use a 3-part carbonless form, that way the person being informed could sign it and retain a copy for themselves...)
Customers will be cheap when they are paying for some service, but generally they will find the best lawyer they can't afford to sue you when they feel (even mistakenly so) that you didn't explain something to them... In many cases of burglary there will be some invlovement of the insurance companies as well... YOURS and theirs... Now I know that Joe thinks this way:
= If you take only the jobs where someone gives you a = complete waiver or lets you replace the entire entranceway, = you'll go out of business fast.
That may be true in your opinion, but getting sued can often have a similar effect... You could loose your insurance underwriting and then you are NOT in ANY business...
If you really feel that a conversation with someone is the best way to inform them of things then you are just waiting for that one customer out there that willl eventually sue and put you out of business... Seriously... It takes but only a moment to write something down on a piece of paper and only one more to have the customer sign it and then you are covered...
Evan, ~~formerly a maintenance man, now a college student
OK. You're reflecting your employer's policy at that time. Which is entirely reasonable for that profession, but not in synch with the realities our profession has to work with.
Yes, there are things which you should get releases for before starting
-- actions which have hazards either to the customer, to their property, or to you if the job has been misrepresented. But for most things... lawsuits should be rare and defendable if you're halfway competent, and that's what business insurance is for.
agree, after many years in this field, I have NOT had to defend myself, or my company, in any lawsuits. (I do believe should have a waver for some things, such as your examples above)
had to file a claim with my insurance only once. (shouldn't have then because the cost was not much over the deductible) was a very hot day and I was tearing down a gm column. I tossed the power screw-driver up on the dash and cracked the windshield.
g'day
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