Two security standards have been making waves in our industry: the revised 12th edition of the UL 752 Standard for Bullet-Resisting Equipment and the new ASTM F3561-22 Standard Test Method for Forced-Entry-Resistance of Fenestration Systems After Simulated Active Shooter Attack.
Together, these are going to do an awful lot to make sure our security barriers will perform as expected. But at the moment, they may be creating some confusion. Let’s review the existing UL 752 (11th Ed.) standard, look at what’s changed in the revised UL 752 (12th Ed.), and explore what’s covered by the new ASTM F3561-22 standard.
About the ul 752 (11th ed.)
For decades, the 11th edition of UL 752 has been the gold standard for structural ballistic safety. The system was hierarchical in the way you’d expect: generally, the higher the rating, the more types of bullets that material would stop. If a ballistic window or door passed Level 3 testing, you knew it would pass Levels 1 and 2 as well. Levels 1 through 3 barriers stop pistols and Level 4 and above stop rifles and submachine guns.
But there were a few important instances in which this wasn’t the case. At a glance Level 3 and Level 6 look extremely different. Level 3 materials stop three shots from a .44 Magnum pistol. Level 6 materials stop five shots from a 9mm Uzi submachine gun.
However, many modern materials that pass the Level 3 test will also pass the Level 6 test. This is owing to how ballistic materials physically interact with speeding bullets of different shapes and weights. And the bullets used at Levels 3 and 6 are very similar. But, many of the same materials that are rated for Level 3 and 6 will not pass Level 4 or 5 tests. In fact, with some bullet-resistant materials, Level 4 can be harder to pass than Level 8.
This sort of inconsistency, or “exceptions” to the rule, is one of the reasons that UL completely overhauled the 752 standard last year, creating the revised UL 752 12th edition.
The new, revised ul 752 (12th ed.) increases clarity
The revised 12th edition of the UL 752 standard has three tables, each of which is explicitly non-hierarchical.
You can see these tables in UL’s announcement of the revised standard. They break out firearms by type:
- Handgun (HG)
- Rifle (RF)
- Shotgun (SG)
This organization is more informed by type of ammunition. So a shorter-barrel submachine gun, like an Uzi, is now grouped among the handguns. This designation is also more consistent with how these weapons are categorized under the law in many jurisdictions. The tables also expand to include more distinct types of long-gun ammunition, listing them in a manner that’s more consistent with their penetrating power under field conditions. If a material can pass more than one of these tests, it will carry all the designations separately. But each table is still explicitly not a hierarchy.
Finally, the revised standard clarifies one other frequent source of confusion: it explicitly specifies that UL 752 is intended for barriers and fixtures, not worn or carried personal protective equipment (which fall under other standards, like NIJ).
Further Improvements that Come with UL-752 (12th ed.)
Taken together, these changes mean a big increase in clarity. They eliminate the most common sources of confusion from the older 11th edition.
But the most important advances with the revised standard are elements that few customers will ever notice. The older UL 752 (11th Ed.) standard struggled to ensure consistency and repeatability in how materials were tested in the lab. The revised 12th edition of the UL 752 standard addresses these shortfalls.
Under the revised UL 752 (12th Ed.) more samples of a given material or component are tested, each piece is shot more times, there is a greater range of shot groupings for each rating, and those groupings are more clearly defined. The standard also specifies the weak points in architectural products more thoroughly, and is more stringent on shot placement and sample conditioning.
ASTM Physical Security and Safety Standards
There are many ASTM standards that are important to assessing physical security, barrier robustness, and building safety. These include:
- F1233 Standard Test Method for Security Glazing Materials and Systems F1915 Standard Test Methods for Glazing for Detention Facilities
- F1642 Standard Test Method for Glazing and Glazing Systems Subject to Airblast Loadings
- D256 Standard Test Methods for Determining the Izod Pendulum Impact Resistance of Plastics
- ASTM F588-17 Standard Test Methods for Measuring the Forced Entry Resistance of Window Assemblies, Excluding Glazing Impact
- ASTM F842-17 Standard Test Methods for Measuring the Forced Entry Resistance of Sliding Door Assemblies, Excluding Glazing Impact
- ASTM F476-14 Standard Test Methods for Security of Swinging Door Assemblies
But, none of them focus on a very common weakness in building security and barrier solutions.
In many recent active shooter and mass casualty events, we’ve seen the same situation play out: The shooter comes to a locked door. This door should stop them, or at least slow them enough to give first responders time to arrive. But, the attacker is able to easily shoot and smash a big enough gap in the door’s window that they can reach through and let themselves in. Instead of protecting the occupants or buying time for police to arrive, the door might as well have been unlocked.
New Standard for Forced-Entry Protection: ASTM F3561-22
ASTM F3561-22 (Standard Test Method for Forced-Entry-Resistance of Fenestration Systems After Simulated Active Shooter Attack) is designed to test a barrier’s performance in this exact active shooter situation, filling an important design loophole.
ASTM F3561-22 evaluates doors’ forced-entry resistance characteristics in single-person, active shooter attacks. This standard doesn’t demand bullet resistance; projectiles can fully penetrate the glazing or door. It is not a ballistic standard. What matters for products tested to the ASTM F3561-22 is that, even after being shot, the attacker cannot smash their way through the barrier and let themselves in.
Before even testing to this standard, the window and door are separately rated to a minimum level of forced entry resistance. As such, ASTM F3561-22 isn’t simply a materials test; this standard evaluates how those materials come together to create a protective barrier system.
What New Standards Mean for Security Planning
ASTM F3561 is becoming extremely popular. Although we’ve only seen a handful of products released so far, many companies, including TSS, are working to meet those prerequisite test requirements. This standard marks an extremely positive development in our field: responding to how threats have evolved and what it takes to keep people safe.
End users may be slow to benefit from the revised UL 752 (12th Ed.). We’ve heard surprisingly little discussion of the UL 752 (12th Ed.) within our industry. Yes, moving forward, anyone being certified through UL labs will do so under this revised standard. Adoption will come, one way or the other. But many manufacturers use certified third-party labs. Those labs may be slow to adopt the new standard, and manufacturers may hesitate to recertify existing products—especially when the existing system is generally quite easy to understand at a high level.
Ironically, it seems like this revision, which offers so much more clarity and insight, is going to lead to short-term confusion.
TSS Can Help You Get the Security You Need
The goal with any standard is to improve clarity. We want everyone to have the guidance they need to pick the right materials and solutions for their application. We want everyone to rest assured that their barrier product will protect them. No matter what threat you want to protect from, we can help you find the right solution.
If you have any questions, or are ready to begin moving forward with a project, we’re here to help. Simply send us a message online to get started.
By Jim Richards
Jim Richards is co-founder and CEO of Total Security Solutions, an industry leader in the design, fabrication, and installation of custom bulletproof barriers. Jim has nearly 30 years of experience in the bullet-resistant glass and physical security industries.