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"Euro standards … where should you be by now?" will be presented by Mark Bowers, Technical Officer, BSIA who will tackle the main points and answer installers' questions in three informal sessions.

Similar informal "walk in" sessions at our Sandown Park Roadshow in March were well attended – one being standing room only – and the Q&A format gave installers a chance to clarify come of the more confusing aspects of EN50131 and the document PD6662 which is “key” to the standards’ UK implementation.

There is no need to book places … just register for the show by completing the card enclosed with this edition of Security Installer and bring the ticket with you to the show. Colleagues can register free by visiting www.security-installer.co.uk or contact Andy Meyer, Security Roadshow Manager. Ring 0207 921 8283 or email ameyer@cmpinformation.com. Also see our ad on page 91.

• A leading manufacturer of alarm panels has explained why it is holding back the release of new products on the build-up to October 1 (See “Be web alert on page 53). In a statement on its website, Menvier Security says it will only release compliant panels when all the standards documents are finally agreed and published .

"Although the EN50131 standards have been around for a number of years they are of little or no use to UK installers without the corresponding PD6662 and DD243 documents to indicate how inspectorates and the police will interpret and expect them to be implemented,” the statement says.

"We could, like others, try to sell you panels with 'Complies with EN50131 Grade 2 or 3' on them, but wouldn't you rather wait until your inspectorate, BSIA, ACPO and ABI finally agree what is needed?"

Installation guidelines, inspections checklist and agreement on communications system details had still to be agreed and ratified. "Until these points are cleared up … no manufacturer can currently be sure they can produce fully compliant product."

• Chiron Technology says its IRIS 800 series of alarm over IP diallers has become the first in the industry to be independently certificated to EN50131, making IP a "serious alternative to established alarm signalling”.

"While there remains some uncertainty about exactly how this Europe wide standard will impact on alarm signalling technologies – particularly in the UK where the insurance industry is still conducting its own assessments – we believe that as a benchmark EN50131 approval will rapidly become significant,” said Chiron MD, Ian Tredinnick.