Changes to the Victorian Service and Installation Rules has led to the development of new power industry locks for local electricians.

Occasionally, electricians will come across customers that ask to have a lock installed on their equipment, so only employees of the distributor can gain access. This is achieved through the use of Victorian Power Industry Locks (VPILs), which are overseen by the Service and Installation Rules (SIR 2014).

Recently, the SIR Committee sought an upgrade to the VPILs after concerns were raised about the ongoing security of the existing system. The Committee turned to ASSA ABLOY – the parent company of Lockwood – to develop a new, more secure solution.

Overleaf is a breakdown of the new keying system.

“Initially the SIR Committee alerted ASSA ABLOY to concerns that the security of its existing keying system had been compromised. It was an outdated keying platform that no longer offered any legal protection against key duplication and all control over the distribution of master keys had been lost over a period of time,” explains ASSA ABLOY mechanical keying product manager Stuart Smith.

“There was effectively no longer any integrity to the security of the old key system. So in conjunction with the SIR Committee, ASSA ABLOY was able to offer a new, exclusive factory controlled key system using the legally protected Lockwood MT5+ keying platform.

“Using the Lockwood MT5+ keying platform has given the power distributors complete control over master keys to the new system and successfully reinstated a high degree of security.”

ASSA ABLOY is the largest global supplier of intelligent locks and security solutions. Its products account for more than one in every 10 of all lock and security installations worldwide.

“The new VPI key system was designed to allow our customers easy access to both the locks and information on the VPI key system. New VPI locks and keys are now available through any of our Victorian distributors, which can be found on the dedicated VPI Locks information page – www.lockweb.com.au/vpil.”

They can also be purchased through Middies, AWM and other electrical wholesalers. (Note: Master keys can only be accessed from a power distributor.)

“Aspects of the locks and keys that have been improved in the new VPI locks include additional locking points in the lock cylinders and a symmetrical key with a moveable element enabling a higher level of security with a user friendly key,” Stuart explains.

“For convenience, electricians can see their local locksmith, who can set up a keyed alike system (group of locks on the one key code) for their own projects, which they can revisit and re-order on the same code using the new authority system that includes a code and card opposed to the use of signature verification typically used on restricted key systems.”