The Door Industry Journal: July 2020

Friday, 31 July 2020

Winkhaus achieves ‘Double First’ with Fire and Security SBD Q Dual Accredited Doorsets

Winkhaus has become the first long-standing Secured by Design (SBD) member company to hold the latest Dual Certification compliance for both Q Mark Fire BS EN 1634 and PAS24 enhanced security on both their SBD-accredited composite and timber fire and security doorset solutions.

Winkhaus’ test evidence and accreditation has undergone rigorous third-party certification by a UKAS-accredited body to ensure compliance with the latest 2020 MHCLG Government guidance document Building a Safer Future: An Implementation Plan advice note 16 in Annex B as well as the official Police Security Initiative SBD’s ‘Guide for Selecting Flat Entrance Doorset requirements.’

The Winkhaus Fire & Security Doorset solution utilises their AV2 and AV3 range of multi-point autoLocks with Winkhaus’ fully-finished and low-maintenance frame system, FireFrame® for composite doorsets, or a timber frame for timber doorsets.

The system offers specifiers and fabricators a choice of FD30 and FD60 composite and timber door assemblies. Its versatility allows a choice of doorset styles, including solid and glazed versions with or without fanlights.

Commenting on the benefits of SBD Dual certification for both specifiers and fabricators, Mike Rushen, Winkhaus UK Sales Director says:

“Achieving this double accreditation is a huge accolade for Winkhaus and, in turn, presents a major opportunity for manufacturers to comply with the latest regulations and guidelines. Winkhaus has invested significantly in fire and security test evidence to achieve both ‘Q Mark Fire’ and ‘Q Mark Security’ for third-party dual certification scheme compliance on both timber and composite doorsets.

“This means that fabricators can use this evidence to manufacture doors to these standards providing they sign up for the Dual Q Mark Certification schemes for both Fire and Security. They can then be confident that the doorsets they supply provide full compliance with all Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government guidelines.”

Doug Skins, Secured by Design Development Officer adds:

"Winkhaus were one of the first members of SBD with their door and window hardware back in 1999 and have been supporters of the work we do since then. It is great that now they have added to their SBD portfolio of products and their SBD accredited composite and timber fire and security doorsets as a system supplier.

“This will be welcomed by both specifiers and the SBD approved fabricator companies they supply. This is such an important standard to have for doorsets and having achieved this standard shows just how committed Winkhaus are to manufacturing secure and safe doorsets."

Housing associations, landlords and local authorities looking to specify, or fabricators planning to manufacture Fire Doors using Winkhaus test evidence should contact the company on 01536 316091 or email marketing@winkhaus.co.uk.

For more information, please visit www.winkhaus.co.uk.

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Thursday, 30 July 2020

Buildings post Covid-19

While commonly specified and used in the healthcare and even pharmaceutical sectors, if the past few months have shown us anything, it’s that barrier-free and contact-free access has never been more important in the way we use and navigate our way through buildings.

Internationally, we have never been more aware of what surfaces we touch or come in contact with as we enter and move through buildings. In healthcare environments building designers look at the issue of hygiene and infection control and how to manage it effectively – a practice which is becoming a priority in all sectors since the outbreak of Covid-19 and as businesses and buildings attempt to get up and running again.

KCC Group, formerly known as KCC Architectural, work with clients across all sectors on new build and refurbishment projects to create an access and automation strategy fit for purpose and suited to the specific environment in question.

This can include anything from thermal scanning at main entry points which can be integrated into entry systems such as turnstiles and speed-lanes; to touch-free sensor activated access control to open or close doors, to hermetically-sealed or cleanroom doors, to sensor-activation for internal swing doors to minimise the need for user interaction to antimicrobial protection for frequently touched surfaces such as door handles or lift buttons for example.

This virtually invisible coating is suitable for application either on-site, or in the factory, making it an ideal and easily implemented solution for both new buildings and retrofit projects.

The move from conventional entrances to automated systems

Where contactless access is a priority a fully automated door system is a simple solution.

Ivan Mannion, Group Director of Business Development with KCC Group says:

“We offer an expansive range including sliding, swing, revolving, folding or hermetically sealed automated door systems or automation-only systems for retro-fitting to existing doors. These coupled with our various contactless activation devices can provide safe, secure and hygienic access and movement through your building that is tailor made to your specific requirements.”

KCC offer versatile, contactless activation and door release switches which can be used in place of traditional push buttons and other activation point devices that would normally require contact to engage. The ‘Magic Switch’, for example, detects motion towards its sensor and easily integrates with existing systems including automatic doors and access control doors to provide a safe clean method of operation and is commonly used by KCC in their complete access systems across all sectors.

“For hospitality clients we can offer Bluetooth access for an enhanced guest and user experience and to facilitate remote check-ins, thereby reducing the need for queues at the reception area, which will be more important than ever going forward post Covid-19”, advises Ivan.

“Also the use of thermal scanning units for accurate temperature measurement and mask detection at main entry points such as lobbies or reception areas is a simple, yet effective way to ensure an additional level of infection control for buildings in all sectors.”

KCC operates across four key business divisions, namely Doors & Access, Specialist Glazing & Partitions, Architectural Hardware and Maintenance & Inspections and have been on hand throughout the entire Covid-19 crisis to support their essential services clients in sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“We are proud to be able to leverage our experience and expertise to offer advice and assistance to our clients across all sectors on designing and implementing effective and hygienic access and automation strategies for buildings post Covid-19.

“Our maintenance & inspection teams have been providing essential support to frontline services over the past number of months and continue to do so as everyone adapts to this ‘new normal’.” says Ivan.

If you are looking for assistance or advice on creating contactless access or automation strategies for your building, you can contact KCC on their website www.thekccgroup.com .

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Wednesday, 29 July 2020

Norseal Is A Cut Above

Door seal specialist Norseal has become the first company in Europe to develop a custom-made drop seal cutting machine.

The machine will cut any drop seal to the exact size required, ready for next day delivery, without damaging it, and so keeping the fire, smoke and acoustic integrity of the door intact. Every door seal cut to size by Norseal with its new equipment comes with a one million cycle guarantee.

Norseal has developed the new cutting machine as part of its ongoing commitment to offer the best customer service proposition in the business. It will accurately cut its Norsound range of acoustic, smoke, and weather drop seals to the exact size required ready for immediate fitting on site or in the factory.

It will put an end to the incorrect size being cut on site and eliminate the damage that can be caused to drop seals by cutting by hand which can deform or bend, rendering the seal useless.

“We believe that this new machine will revolutionise the fitting of drop seals for door manufacturers and contractors,” says Norseal MD Michael Spoors.

“It not only eliminates an entire manufacturing process for them to save time in production or on site, it will also massively reduce wastage with its accurate and damage-free cutting. All of the seals we cut on the machine will still be available for next day delivery and, best of all, the service is completely free of charge for customers.”

Part of the European Athmer Group, Norseal is the leading provider of specialist door seal solutions, plus a wide range of ancillary door products. The company has a long track record of innovation, developing products which meet and exceed the latest industry standards for fire and smoke protection, acoustic properties, accessibility and thermal insulation.

Products are backed by a qualified and experienced technical team offering advice and guidance on all aspects of intumescent and acoustic seals. As well as its core range of seals, Norseal supply a wide range of supplementary door products including fire-rated glazing, electrical and plumbing solutions, fire rated ventilation, letter plates, door viewers, threshold plates, weather seals, and finger protection products.

For more information please visit www.norseal.co.uk or contact us on 01661 830088.

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Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Colour Tec Expands Rapidly in The Garage Door Sector

Colour Tec – the Yorkshire-based firm that specialises in colouring and cosmetic repair – is reporting a major increase in sales within the garage door sector, particularly through firms looking for door painting.

Colour Tec has been trading since 2008 and started life as a man in a van offering an onsite cosmetic repair service to the trade and public. The company is now well established and offers cosmetic repairs and on-site colour spraying for windows, doors, garage doors and aluminium.

Colour Tec also offers a factory-based spraying service, where products are taken to its facility in Horbury. There, a team spray paints products using a specialist, high quality paint. The painted door is then either delivered back to the customer’s premises, or straight to site.

And it is this service that is proving such a hit with garage door manufacturers and installers, with major companies such as JD (UK) Ltd amongst Colour Tec’s customers.

One of these clients - Steve Pierce, Managing Director at ABi Doors Ltd – says this about working with Colour Tec:

“We choose the people we work with very carefully. Our relationship with Colour Tec has developed over a number of years and that is testament to their commitment to professionalism and level of customer service.

“They are always happy and ready to provide advice, and their knowledge and experience has been invaluable in supporting our own business growth. Their attention to detail allows us to provide our own customers with bespoke options whilst maintaining the highest standards of quality.”

Dean Hurst – Colour Tec’s owner – confirms that more trade than ever is coming from the garage door sector:

“We are getting an ever-increasing amount of trade from installers and manufacturers, as word is getting around that we provide a quality service with quick turnaround times – typically around a week.

“We agree on an exact turnaround time prior to the job commencing, so that required timescales are met,” he explains.

“Installers in particular benefit from this, as when a client wants a particular colour, they can quickly get hold of a white ‘off the page’ door direct from a manufacturer, then send it to us to get painted.

“This cuts down on time massively – as you could wait six weeks for a coloured door. And there’s absolutely no compromise on quality, as the paint and materials we use are as good, if not better, than the manufacturer would use to paint the product.”

The paint used by Colour Tec is supplied by AVKO, a Swiss company that has been in the business of colour coating for over 30 years.

The paint is made with the best quality binder and pigment. It has been rigorously tested and boasts long-lasting coverage - making it ideal for most installations.

It is a Car high-quality product for external and internal use and has been 10000 hr UV tested – after which most colours were still 4-5 on the grey scale.

Colour Tec follows a two-coat application process, before air-drying each door. Should further coats be necessary, this is done wet-on-wet, so paint is touch dry very quickly and no baking of the product is needed.

The duration between coats is minimal, which improves turnaround time and factory workflow.

In total, Colour Tec offers a database of over 15,000 colours from the standard RAL / BS colours to the Farrow and Ball and Dulux ranges, plus a colour matching service.

And any door painted by Colour Tec comes with a ten-year guarantee, so quality is assured. Also, the firm offers colour fit trims - so every door that is painted by the firm can be supplied with matching trims.

To find out more about Colour Tec and the service it offers, go to www.colour-tec.co.uk, or call 01924 565056.

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Monday, 27 July 2020

Welcome to the Summer 2020 Digital Edition of Door Industry Journal

www.dijonline.co.uk

It’s particularly nice to be welcoming you to our Summer 2020 digital issue today, as our printed version nearly didn’t make it to press.

We faced significant issues thanks to lockdown, as I’m sure you all did. And, looking forward (back in March), the situation suggested that we would only be able to publish a digital issue.

But we didn’t count on the loyalty and support of our advertisers, who have kept with us and enabled to us to go to print.

It is thanks to these companies that the door and gate industry’s favourite magazine is with you in both printed and digital form. So, please do all you can to support our advertisers.

www.dijonline.co.uk

A lot has changed since our last issue. And as the whole country comes back to life, so too does the door and gate industry. In fact some sectors, like garage doors, are enjoying a mini-boom.

But, of course, we’ve all had to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and that has taken much thought, effort and change.

Here at DIJ Towers, we’ve used the last few months to improve the service we offer our advertisers and supporters. The biggest part of this has been ramping up our online activity between issues.

So we’re doing more blogging and putting more content out on Twitter, Facebook etc. This increases exposure for our advertisers - at no additional cost to them - and is particularly helpful for smaller companies with modest budgets, who cannot stretch to display advertising.

Also, we now provide dedicated mailings, leaflet inserts within our printed magazine, and bespoke email campaigns. Find out more in our Media Pack at www.dijonline.co.uk.

But for now, grab a deckchair, treat yourself to an ice-cream, and enjoy the Summer issue.

I’ll be back again in November.

Derek Hibbart

Editor, Door Industry Journal

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Sunday, 26 July 2020

Fantastic Five, the Generation GT Collection of Aston Martins to be Auctioned Next Weekend

1969 Aston Martin DBS

The Generation GT Collection, five superb Aston Martins from a private collection are to be auctioned at the Silverstone Classic Live Online Auction next weekend.

Alongside the Generation GT Collection will be a further six Aston Martins including a rare Vantage V550 formerly owned by the Brunei Royal family.

The Generation GT Collection was one man’s dream to carefully curate his own private collection of Grand Tourer Aston Martins. The collection included five cars which turned out to be better than expected and were too good to be used.

The first car in the collection is the wonderful 1969 DBS (above), a model that found fame in the James Bond films. This DBS is presented in Dubonnet Red with a tan interior. Having had just five owners the current vendor thought he used it sparingly ensured it was regularly maintained at all costs and is estimated at £70,000 to £80,000.

1991 Aston Martin Virage

The 1991 Virage in Suffolk Red is very striking and has just 1,010 miles from new. The Virage is a brutish car and has had just two former owners, one of whom was a titled and prominent gentleman. The vendor describes the car as “in stunning original condition” and is supplied with the original documents. Estimated at £60,000 to

£70,000 this is a stunning car that has been well preserved and is in possibly unrepeatable condition.

2002 Aston Martin Vanquish

The next Aston Martin is the 2002 Vanquish supplied by JCT600 in the February of that year. Presented in the rarer colour combination of Aston Martin Racing Green with an interior of Fern Green upper trim, Parchment Lower trim and Fern Green carpeting with Parchment Alcantara headlining. This made the car stand out from the more traditional option of Bond Silver.

The car comes with an extensive history file and also the very rare and fully complete glovebox mounted accessory pack. Estimated at £60,000 to £70,000 and with 18,766 miles this is a very desirable Aston Martin.

1997 Astin Martin V8 Coupe

The fourth car in the Generation GT collection is the 1997 V8 Coupe estimated at £60,000 to £70,000 which has been regularly maintained by Aston Works and Aston engineering and more recently by marque specialist Christian Lewis. This is one of the rarer models of the Aston Martin V8 family and is presented in one of the best colour combinations of Pentland Green with a green-piped Parchment interior.

2003 Aston Martin DB7

The final car of the five is the 2003 DB7 with an estimate of £20,000 to £23,000 making it a great opportunity to own a V12 grand tourer. With 40,650 miles on the clock, this car has been fully maintained by main dealers and marque specialists and comes with a history file including the factory build sheet. A lovely car in Stronsay Silver with a Pacific Blue leather interior.

All these cars have been exceptionally well looked after and any interested parties can book a private viewing appointment at Silverstone Auction’s secure and centrally located storage facility.

1997 Aston Martin Vantage V550

Those were the cars from the Generation GT Collection, but there are others also in the sale including a very rare 1997 Vantage V550 that was bought new by the Brunei Royal family. Estimated at £220,000 to £260,000 this right-hand drive Aston Martin spent its early life in Brunei until 2017.

It returned to the UK the same year, where it was fully recommissioned at no expense and is now UK registered. It is thought that only 240 of these rare cars were hand-built and this particular car comes with the rare automatic transmission. As with most cars owned by the Brunei Royal family the mileage is very low at 4,468 miles.

1995 Aston Martin Virage 5.3 Factory Widebody Volante

Another stand out Aston Martin is the 1995 Virage 5.3 Factory Widebody Volante, one of 26 factory-built cars in right-hand drive and the automatic transmission. With one previous owner and 25,000 miles from new, it is estimated at £75,000 to £85,000.

We then have a couple of Vanquishes, one from 2004 at £60,000 to £70,000 and a 2003 example which was sold from new to the Royal Privy Purse. Who in the royal family drove it, we can only guess, but it stayed with them until 2016 and had two owners since. With only 16,709 miles, it has an interesting story to tell and is estimated at £65,000 to £75,000.

With two cars left in our Aston Martin round up we have the rare 2010 DBS Carbon Edition 2+2 automatic at an estimated £78,000 to £88,000 and with just 3,600 warranted miles. A rare car in that each dealer was given just one and this has to be one the best available.

The final car is a classic, the 1966 DB6 with matching engine and chassis numbers, low ownership. This car has been well looked after with invoices from Aston Engineering and others in the history file. Estimated at £180,000 to £220,000 it has a Heritage Certificate original handbook, this one for the enthusiast

Nick Whale, Silverstone Auctions Managing Director commented:

“This is a great selection of Aston Martins with some very notable examples. The Generation GT Collection completes our line-up of collections for auction, making it five in total.”

“We do encourage any interested parties to book an appointment to come and view any of these cars.”

Silverstone Auctions are now booking appointments for those interested in viewing the lots at their centrally located private storage facility.

They can be contacted on 01926 691141 or email enquiries@silverstoneauctions.com and would be happy to talk with you about any of the cars offered in the sale.

The auctions starts at 11am on both the 31st July and 1st August with a break for 15 minutes around 2.45pm on each day.

www.silverstoneauctions.com

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Saturday, 25 July 2020

IronmongeryDirect Reports Record Sales Figures

IronmongeryDirect has reported its most successful month in history, with June seeing record figures for both order numbers and revenue.

With many people turning to DIY during lockdown, the UK’s largest supplier of ironmongery experienced an 80% year-on-year (YoY) increase in web traffic in June. This increase led to a 75% uplift in transactions, taking the total number of orders to unprecedented levels.

The surge of interest in home improvements saw a slight shift in IronmongeryDirect’s usual consumer base, away from its usual trade focus and more into the domestic market. In fact, while online traffic from existing customers rose by 29%, the number of first-time visitors more than trebled (208% YoY).

Categories that performed particularly well in June included:

● Locks and latches
● Door and cabinet furniture (front door furniture, handles and knobs)
● Screws and fixings
● Gate, fence and shed hardware
● Shelving and storage

Charlie Carlton, Head of Digital at IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect, said:

“In recent months, many people have used their extra time at home to do DIY and this trend is clearly evident in our sales data.

“We’re delighted to have been able to provide for the nation during lockdown, whilst still supplying critical products to the NHS and schools in this difficult time. With restrictions starting to ease off, we expect to see a return to our normal trade patterns and will continue to serve the country’s construction industry as it recovers from the pandemic.”

For more information about IronmongeryDirect, visit: www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/

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Friday, 24 July 2020

Kenrick Makes Smart Locking Available Now

Kenrick has signed an exclusive deal to become the UK distributor of BeeSecure – a revolutionary app-based smart home security solution, which allows homeowners to monitor their home from anywhere with their smartphone.

The move follows many months of research by Kenrick to find what it believes is the best smart home security product for the market.

Reliable and easy to use, BeeSecure enables users to detect movements within their home, even if they are miles away. The system features a central hub, called the Bee-Hub, which links a series of devices inside the home to an app on the user’s phone. If a sensor on one of the devices is activated, the homeowner is alerted with a notification on their phone.

Devices in the BeeSecure range include a motion sensor, an object movement sensor, a camera, a smoke detector, a doorbell, and a window and door sensor. The window and door sensor is lightweight and compact and it detects if windows or doors have been opened. It also allows homeowners to check remotely if all their windows and doors have been properly closed.

The sensor unit can be fitted by fabricators onto new windows and doors and it can also be retro-fitted onto any existing doors and windows around the home.

Steve Williams, Kenrick’s sales and marketing director, says:

“Today’s consumers embrace modern technology and smart home security has the potential to transform the way we live – making properties more secure and home entry easier and more convenient.

“BeeSecure is a brilliant early warning system for homeowners, whether they are at home or not. It can let them know if anyone is outside or inside their home, if any windows or doors are being tampered with and even if smoke is detected inside their property. Ultimately, it makes their home and safer and more secure place and gives them greater peace of mind.

“We’re proud to be at the forefront of the industry by bringing a security innovation that delivers what modern homeowners want, whilst also helping forward-thinking fabricators and installers to enter the ‘smart’ market.”

Cost effective and easy to use, BeeSecure has been designed to enable homeowners to prepare their homes to be fully-smart in the future. It is also very versatile and the central hub can connect up to 16 BeeSecure devices. Additional devices can be added with the Bee-Repeater.

Kenrick is a leading supplier of hardware solutions for PVCu, aluminium and timber window and door systems. The company has a proud heritage spanning more than 200 years, having been established by Archibald Kenrick who manufactured buckles and livery fittings.

Kenrick’s range of top quality products includes the market leading Excalibur multi-point locking system, the four-point Centurion system and the Easifit and Espagnolette locking systems.

For further information, please visit www.kenricks.co.uk or contact Steve Williams at Kenrick on 0121 553 2741 or by email swilliams@kenricks.co.uk.

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Thursday, 23 July 2020

Complimentary Webinar: Valuable Tax Relief for Research and Development – Are You Missing Out?

Research and Development tax relief is an extremely generous incentive from the UK Government which many door and window manufacturers are still missing out on - are you?

Register now for this webinar to find out.

It enables you to invest a greater proportion of your profits into such things as hiring new staff or investing in new machinery.

The scope of what is covered under R&D may be broader than you may think. If you answer yes to any of the following questions you may qualify for this tax relief:

Do you manufacture anything?
Do you carry out design work?
Have you experimented with new equipment or production techniques?
Have you reduced waste from your processes or reused it in a novel way?

Join this complimentary online webinar and find out if you qualify for this generous tax relief. Ask your questions in the live Questions & Answers session.

Register now by clicking on this link: www.coastal-group.com

Co-hosted with PKF Francis Clark’s specialist Research and Development tax adviser.

Webinar date: Wednesday 5th August
Webinar time: 10.00am

www.coastal-group.com

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Wednesday, 22 July 2020

Employer warning: The Fire Safety Risk of Alcohol-Containing Hand Sanitiser

Alcohol-based hand sanitisers used in the fight against COVID-19 are potentially flammable and pose safety risks if used in the wrong working conditions.

With British workers returning to work up and down the country, health and safety experts at CE Safety are alerting Brits to the potential fire risk of alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

A trainer for CE Safety, was recently delivering a hot works training course for a company that is responsible for repairing gas pipelines.

Their hygiene measures included alcohol-free hand sanitiser, as an employee who had used alcohol gel had been unlucky enough to come into contact with a static spark, which ignited the gel and gave them second-degree burns on their hands.

Example of second degree burn on hand

Alcohol is highly effective at killing germs, which is why it is such a prevalent ingredient in hand sanitisers worldwide.

Unfortunately, liquids that have high concentrations of alcohol come with a fire risk: ranging from flammable, to highly flammable, to extremely flammable.

This means that if any work environments involve open flames/heat sources, flying sparks or anything of that nature, the use of alcoholic hand sanitiser poses a constant risk to fire safety and personal health and safety, because the vapour could conceivably ignite.

These vapours are reacting at their “flashpoint” and then can ignite in normal air conditions.
A spokesperson from CE Safety says:

“Any person who carries out hot works – such as welding, soldering, grinding, cutting, burning or any other process that produces sparks – should, as a rule, use a hand-sanitising solution that is completely free of alcohol, due to the burn risk.

“Logic does suggest that common hot-work PPE, such as welding gloves and masks, would negate the need for non-alcoholic hand sanitiser, but it cannot be assumed that skin will be covered at all times – and accidents do happen.”

Research into the effectiveness of non-alcoholic hand sanitiser at neutralising Covid-19 is still ongoing. The general consensus does seem to be that hand sanitisers that have an alcohol content of at least 60% are the most effective at killing germs.

However – and it is a big however – the best way any person can protect themselves against Covid-19 is by washing their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

The CE Safety spokesperson continues:

“Even though washing hands is scientifically the most effective way to tackle the virus, alcoholic hand sanitiser will of course still be widely used throughout all kinds of workplaces – and there is a way to minimise the risk of burns for everybody.

“Whenever an employee applies alcoholic sanitiser, they must wait until the liquid has fully evaporated on their skin (i.e. their hands are completely dry) before they begin or resume work – especially when working next to naked flames or in any other environments that pose static-charge risk.”

For more information on what to do if an employee or visitor is unlucky enough to suffer a burn, please visit - cesafety.co.uk

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Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Abloy Donates Padlocks after Animal Thefts at Brockswood Animal Sanctuary

Abloy UK has donated 30 high spec, pick-proof padlocks to Brockswood Animal Sanctuary in response to a spate of animal thefts.

The Dudley-based, not-for-profit sanctuary looks after 218 animals and has been struggling financially amid the lockdown, with the theft receiving substantial attention locally.

Security experts Abloy UK stepped in to provide 30 PL330 padlocks typically used to protect anything and everything from motorcycles to UK infrastructure.

Abloy’s PL330 is protected by a hardened, free-spinning protection plate that prevents drill bits from penetrating the lock. The design also includes stainless ball bearings that lock the shackle at both ends, and a rotating disc cylinder system which means it is effectively pick-proof.

The Abloy PL330 also recently achieved one of the highest possible ratings during testing to simulate a criminal attack, making it one of the most resilient and dependable padlocks on the market.

The padlock achieved a 1+ rating from the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) against standard LPS 1654, which tests the time taken to compromise a padlock and gain access to the asset or object it is securing.

A ‘1’ grade replicates an opportunist attack by physical force or stealth, while the ‘+’ symbol indicates that the padlock’s key mechanisms are resistant to manipulation methods outlined in Annex A.6 of BS 3621:2007 and LPS 1242: Issue 2.

Steve Wintle, Head of Critical Infrastructure at Abloy UK, said:

“Normally I work to secure critical infrastructure sites, such as in the telecoms or water sector. But when we saw the news of thefts at the sanctuary, not far from our head office in Willenhall, we felt compelled to help out.

“The PL330 is an all-purpose padlock, intentionally designed to meet a wide range of security needs. It’s a stressful time for everyone, so we hope that this donation will at least bring some peace of mind to Neil and the sanctuary staff.”

Neil Swann, of Brockswood Animal Sanctuary, said:

“We’re so thankful that Abloy has managed to provide us with these padlocks to help keep our animals secure. It’s a level of security that no animal sanctuary should need, but we are relieved now that we have one less thing to worry about.”

For further information on products and services available from Abloy, visit www.abloy.co.uk, call 01902 364 500, or email info@abloy.co.uk.

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Monday, 20 July 2020

Rowland Door Services complete Multi Door Installation for West Midlands Fire Service

Rowland Door Services (RDS) were recently appointed to install six Alpha Deuren ALU-40 Panoramic sectional doors for West Midlands Fire Service at their Ward End, Birmingham Fire Station because the existing sectional doors, being over 20 years old, had fulfilled their operational requirement.

In an industry that has evolved to meet modern standards, the existing doors had been left behind with limited and archaic safety devices and poor insulation values, which in a modern safety and energy conscious world meant that the existing doors failed on so many fronts.

The Alpha design team along with the client set about bringing the doors into the 21st century. It was essential that the doors not only suited the aesthetics of the existing building but also complied with all current safety legislation and had an automation system that catered to the emergency response service the fire station provided.

Choosing the Alpha Deuren sectional door as the perfect product for the project equipped with all new bespoke GFA controls and all new door automation and traffic control extras.

Rowland Door Services are a longstanding supplier to the West Midland Fire Service, providing reactive repair, PPM (Planned preventative maintenance) and installation services for over 20 years.

Using the Alpha Deuren ALU/ISO 40 combination sectional door product provided a great mixture of speed, reliability, unparalleled safety, high insulation values, coupled with the desire for maximum ingress of natural light and this combination gave RDS the edge to succeed in winning the order.

The Alpha Deuren & Rowland Door Services trade partnership has never been stronger with the relationship being close to 10 years old.

Glenn Rowland RDS Managing Director had this to say about the Ward End success and trade partnership with Alpha:

“West Midlands Fire Service has been a long-standing client of ours and rather scarily, doors that we installed all those years ago are now surpassing their operational life spans and we are replacing them for a new generation of product, in this particular case the Alpha Deuren ALU40.

“We are safe in the knowledge that we can future proof the client for a further 20 plus years of reliability and high performance with a product that not only cosmetically ticks all boxes but functionality wise is second to none, a true winning formula.

“This year also sees a 10-year milestone achieved with Alpha Deuren and RDS. I can honestly say they have been an outstanding partner throughout this 10 year period, providing unwavering support right from the initial enquiry stage through to the handover of the product to the end user and long after the product is installed, the support network is exceptional.

“With a staged roll out plan for the next phase of installations for WMFS and other clients, it’s reassuring that we have a product that is reliable and robust and also the support of a great manufacturer and trade partner”

The finished installation is now the jewel in the crown of West Midlands Fire Service Station portfolio with a further roll out and strategy of new doors across other Stations in the network over the course of this year and next.

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