Home Office Guidelines
Safes and strongrooms to protect controlled drugs have been part of the physical security scene for a long time. However, prior to the turn of the century the model for drug strongrooms was a lot different to the current position. Controlled drug (CD) strongrooms were brick/block built rooms with Expamet between the courses and a single skinned metal bookroom style door.
These rooms were far behind the tools which could be employed to breach the rooms and the Home Office, after long consultations with manufacturers and the pharmaceutical industry, introduced their guidance for controlled drug licensees with regard to handling of Controlled Drugs covered by the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) regulations 1973. Currents guidelines call for the storage of drugs in safes and vaults certified to BS/EN 1143-1 or BS/EN 14450. The reference to BS/EN14450 is for small amounts of controlled substances which are approved for storage in a secure cabinet. Safes and strongrooms approved under BS/EN 1143-1 are for use with higher levels of drugs in manufacturing or wholesale distribution premises.
Over the past 20 years or so the number of large PSRs for controlled drugs has multiplied and demand from clients has seen ever higher, wider and longer ‘monster’ vaults with very large strongroom doors built to allow fork lift trucks access to the goods within.
Home Office Guidance lays out principles for the storage of Controlled substances and these are as follows:
General Principles:
Licensees handling CDs/PCs, especially those in Schedules 1 & 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (MDR 2001) or those listed in Schedule 3 of the MDR 2001 which are subject to the secure storage provisions of the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973 (see below), should be aware that these drugs are generally considered to be at a higher risk of diversion, and should consider holding stocks in one of the following ways.
The size of the stocks will determine which of the following is most suitable:
The most commonly encountered CDs of this type are buprenorphine, diethylpropion or phenazepam and temazepam.
- A prefabricated strong room (PSR) that has been certified to CEN Grade VI of BS/EN 1143-1
- A safe that has been certified to an appropriate CEN Grade (e.g. I to XIII) of BS/EN 1143-1
- A small safe that has been certified to Grades S1 or S2 of BS/EN 14450
- cabinet that complies with the specifications set out in the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973.
Where possible, it is recommended that safes/cabinets are installed in an area that is already protected by the alarm system installed on the premises. If that is not possible, consideration should be given to adapting the existing system to ensure that it protects the area around the cabinet. PSRs would normally be separately alarmed or zoned.
Prefabricated strong rooms (PSRs)
CD stocks that are too large to be accommodated in a safe should be held in a PSR which is formed from panels that are bolted or welded together depending on the supplier. PSRs can be constructed to virtually any size consistent with the scale of a licensee’s business and can be equipped internally with racking to hold multiple pallets of stock and to permit forklift operations.
Given the substances often held in PSRs, it would generally be held to be good practice for them to be protected by an intruder alarm system that has a circuit that is separate from the main circuit for the premises.
Licensees may wish to explore adapting the alarm system for the premises to ensure that it protects the area around the exterior of the PSR e.g. Installation of additional movement detectors.
Safes Certified to a CEN Grade of BS/EN 1143-1
Drums containing more than 500 grams of raw materials and finished products whose active ingredients exceed 500 grams should be held in safes that have been certified to an appropriate CEN Grade under BS/EN 1143-1.
Small safes that have been certified to Grades S1 or S2 of BS/EN 14450
Small stocks of CD raw materials, for example those not exceeding 500 grams in total or CD preparations whose active ingredients do not exceed that weight may be held in safes that have been certified to Grades S1 or S2 of BS/EN 14450.
CD Cabinets
- Cabinets that comply, as a minimum, with the specifications set out in the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973, would not be expected to hold stocks of raw materials exceeding 250 grams or CD preparations whose active ingredients do not exceed that weight.
- Generally, such cabinets would be expected to have been constructed of, at a minimum, mild steel sheet at least 2 to 3mm thick.
- The locking mechanism should be as robust as possible to maximise security (e.g. a multiple-point).
Certification of PSRS, Safes and Cabinets
The Home Office is aware there are PSRs, safes and cabinets on the market that have not been tested at a laboratory recognised by certification bodies within the European Fire and Safety Group (EFSG). To this end, licensees considering the procurement of such items may wish to check that they are certified by any of the following EFSG members and can produce paperwork to confirm this:
UK – BRE http://www.bre.co.uk/
France – CNPP – http://www.cnpp.com/fr
Sweden – SBSC – http://www.sbsc.se/Public/default.aspx
Germany – ESSA – http://www.essa.de/
Germany – VdS – http://vds.de/
Italy – I.C.I.M – http://www.icim.it/it/
