Jewellers, late-night pharmacies, bureaux de change and other high-risk businesses in Luxembourg are prime targets for attempted break-ins. The glass in the window and the shopfront is often the only physical obstacle between a burglar and valuable stock. Here is how to choose the right level of protection — and why ordinary glazing is not enough.
Why ordinary glass offers no protection
A standard 6 or 8 mm toughened pane breaks in under 30 seconds under blows from a hammer or a sledgehammer. Once the glass is broken the opening is immediate and the stock is within reach almost instantly. Jewellery raids rely heavily on this "smash and grab" technique: in, grab, out in under 2 minutes, well before the police or a security guard can respond.
How security glazing works: delay, not block
Security glass (Panzerglas) is not meant to be indestructible: it is meant to delay the intrusion long enough for an alarm to bring somebody to the scene. Glazing rated P4A under EN 356 withstands 10 minutes of sustained attack. In 10 minutes the police or a security guard can be there. The odds turn against the burglar, who gives up.
The class we recommend for a jeweller in Luxembourg is P4A as a minimum, and P5A for premises holding very high-value stock. Your insurer may impose a minimum class as a condition of cover, so check your policy.
What Vitralux does in practice
- A glazing security audit of your premises
- Selection of the certified class that matches your risk and your insurer's requirements
- Supply and installation of security glazing certified to EN 356
- A certificate of conformity supplied for your insurance file
- Emergency call-outs after an attempted break-in
Security glazing only makes sense if the whole set-up is secure: the window, the door and the alarm system. Vitralux looks after the glazing; we recommend pairing our work with a full security audit of your premises.
