The Door Industry Journal: September 2021

Thursday, 30 September 2021

CGT Security renew membership with Secured by Design

CGT Security is one of the latest companies to renew their membership with Secured by Design, the official police security initiative.

CGT Security are supply-only manufacturers of innovative roller shutters and garage doors, working with professionals throughout the shutter industry. Providing unrivalled technical support, CGT Security assist customers throughout each stage from initial product queries to project-specific details at installation.

The CGT company mission is to drive the security shutter market through product innovation, manufacturing excellence and dedication to excellent customer service.

CGT Security challenge boundaries at every level and consistently drive performance that exceeds expectations. With a vision to offer a market-leading range of products that reflect the team’s experience and enthusiasm, CGT Security are committed to enhancing the security market and leading with innovation.

You can find out more about CGT Security and their full range of SBD accredited products here: www.securedbydesign.com .

Roger Humphreys, CGT Security:

“Product innovation lies at the heart of everything we do at CGT Security. We recognise the value to our customers of our products having independent security testing and certification and are proud to be associated with Secured by Design.”

Ruari Robertson, Secured by Design, said:

“We are delighted that CGT Security have chosen to renew their membership. Their innovative approach within this market area is a testament to their continued success and I look forward to working with them”.

Secured by Design (SBD) is owned by the UK Police Service with the specific aim of reducing crime and helping people live more safely.

SBD seek to improve the physical security of buildings and the surrounding area using products, such as doors, windows, locks and walling systems along with fencing systems that meet the SBD Police Preferred Specification security requirements.

SBD developed a product-based accreditation scheme over 20 years ago – the Police Preferred Specification, which provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime. SBD work with manufacturers and standards authorities to ensure that security standards are current and updated to keep pace with emerging crime trends.

There are currently many hundreds of companies producing thousands of attack resistant crime prevention products, across over 30 different crime categories, which have achieved Police Preferred Specification.

SBD is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK.

For more information visit: www.securedbydesign.com or www.cgtsecurity.com

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Wednesday, 29 September 2021

Coming soon to a screen near you – Hörmann Alone

The team at Hörmann are always happy to get in front of the camera and have once again been in action.

Keen to promote the Secured by Design accreditation for their LPU 42 and LPU 67 automated sectional garage doors in a fun and innovative way they have created an eye-catching industry movie like no other.

Watch out for the latest, forthcoming Hörmann blockbuster!

Starring well-known industry stalwarts Alex MacKay and Stewart Shaw, and featuring expert Alice, click the Movie Trailer link below to enjoy a short preview of the main event and keep the bandits out this fall.

Hörmann Alone Trailer - YouTube

To find out more about Hörmann sectional doors visit Sectional Garage Doors from Hörmann or call 01530 516868

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Tuesday, 28 September 2021

SeceuroShield 38 Roller Shutters ensure Whinhill Golf Club has Security Down to a Tee

Set above the town of Greenock, Whinhill Golf Club boasts a moorland course with panoramic views over the River Clyde. Part of Inverclyde Leisure, the golf club is owned by Inverclyde Council who were looking to secure the clubhouse out of hours and during times of closure.

The council's architect, who is a member of the Chartered Institute of of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), specified SWS UK's distributor Aardee and requested that they supply and install SeceuroShield 38 shutters across all 24 window openings.

Opting for 240v electric operation, the golf club chose a powder-coated finish of Royal Blue, RAL5002 which provides a striking contrast against the building's white walls. Taking just one week to install the 24 shutters, the project was completed by Aardee in June 2021.

SeceuroShield 38

SeceuroShield 38 is SWS UK’s best-selling roller shutter and is popular across both domestic and commercial applications.

The extruded aluminium profile allows for a strong roller shutter which can span widths of up to 4000mm.

Available in a large choice of powder coated finishes, the versatile SeceuroShield 38 can also be mixed with SeceuroVision where partial see-though slats are required.

Find out more about SeceuroShield 38 at: www.sws.co.uk

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Monday, 27 September 2021

Garador and Adlor Garage Doors Celebrate 40-Year Partnership

Leading garage door manufacturer Garador and garage door installer Adlor Garage Doors are celebrating their long-standing business relationship.

This year marks the 40th year of a long and successful partnership, supplying and fitting Garador garage doors throughout Kent.

Garador has been supplying doors to Adlor Garage Doors since 1981, when the business first opened its doors. The company is based in Aylesford in Kent and has built up a reputation for supplying quality products, conscientious fitting standards and excellent after-sales service.

Garador’s Managing Director, Neil Discombe commented:

“Adlor Garage Doors are one of our longest-serving installers in the Southeast, with a reputation for quality and excellent customer service. The fact that they have been in business for 40 years is a true testament to their commercial success and customer satisfaction and we look forward to supporting them for many more years to come.”

To celebrate such a significant milestone, Adlor’s Managing Director John McConnel visited Garador’s Head Office in Yeovil in September where he was presented with a commemorative plaque to celebrate a business relationship that has flourished over the past four decades. Members of staff and some local guests all turned up to join in the event.

John McConnel commented:

“We have worked closely with Garador as a major supplier for 40 years and have developed an excellent working relationship with staff across the business. I’m proud to have received this commemorative plaque and look forward to many more years of working together to supply customers with Garador doors”

Garador’s Neil Discombe explained that the company liked to develop a close relationship with customers, to the point where they become friends,

“Adlor have established themselves as a leading garage door supplier in the Southeast and we are delighted to be able to present them with this plaque.

“40 years gives you a lot of experience and it's reassuring to know that customers across the region have access to a quality installation company with such great experience.”

For more information on Adlor Garage Doors please visit: www.adloruk.com

Image caption:

Garador Area Sales Manager, Wayne Chafe, presents Adlor Garage Doors Managing Director, John McConnel with a commemorative plaque and bottle of Champagne to celebrate 40 years of working together.

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Sunday, 26 September 2021

CATERHAM® launches New Seven 170, the Lightest Production Seven Ever Built

The Seven 170 is the first new model since Caterham’s acquisition by Japan-headquartered automotive group, VT Holdings, the Seven 170 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Seven 160, by complying with Japan’s world-famous Kei car regulations.

The 170 not only represents the brand’s lightest Seven produced to date, but measuring 1470mm in width, it’s 105mm narrower than anything else within its current range, making it the smallest Seven as well.

Holding true to the mantra that spawned the original Seven, to ‘simplify and add lightness’, Caterham’s Seven 170 weighs a little over 440kg1, which in part, is thanks to its 660cc turbocharged Suzuki engine, which produce 84bhp and 116nm of torque, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio in excess of 170bhp-per-tonne1.

Complementing the 170’s favourable power-to-weight ratio is its marrying of a 155-section tyre and live rear axle suspension, which enables drivers of all capabilities to extract the full potential from the latest Seven’s configuration.

An added bonus of the 170’s pared-back design lies in its reduced emissions. Though the 0-62mph sprint can be achieved in just 6.9 seconds and top speeds can exceed 100mph, the 170 is one of Caterham’s most environmentally friendly cars to date. Both ULEZ and Euro 6 compliant, the new model boasts Caterham’s lowest emission Seven. With a CO2 figure of 109g/km, it is even greener than some hybrid vehicles, including the Toyota Yaris 1.5.

Designed to offer an array of choices to the potential new Seven owner, the Seven 170 is available as either a complete kit or factory-built.

There are several features that appear on the Seven 170 that haven’t been on previous production models. These include new alloy wheels, rear LED lights, and a new stripe design.

Car buyers can pick from two packs, the road-ready 170S or stripped back, more track-focused 170R.

The 170S, for the more laid-back driver, comes with a five-speed gearbox, road suspension pack, 14” Silver Juno alloy wheels, full windscreen and weather gear including a hood and side screen, black leather seats, a Momo steering wheel, and a choice of four paint colours.

While the 170R, an additional variant not previously available on the Seven 160, comes with a five-speed gearbox, sport suspension pack, 14” Black Juno alloy wheels, composite race seats, a four-point race harness, limited-slip differential, Momo steering wheel, carbon-fibre dashboard, and four paint options.

Having the S and R packs means there’s a product to appeal to advocates new to the Caterham brand as well as the more familiar Seven driver.

Available from just £22,990 in kit form and with competitive finance from as little as £199.99 with a cash deposit of £ 6,312.30[1], the Seven 170 offers not only the opportunity for drivers to experience the paired back nature of the two-seater sports car but the self-actualisation of building one too.

Caterham CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: “The Seven 170 really distills the brand’s reputation for offering accessible, simple, light-weight sports cars.

“Given the popularity of the 160, we’re really excited by the potential the Seven 170 offers customers.

“We’ve taken what was great about the 160, its performance and competitive price, and built on it by adding even more choice for our customers. We’re confident the inclusion of the 170R, not previously available on the 160, will prove a hugely popular specification for both new and old customers.”

For more information about the Seven 170 visit: caterhamcars.com

[1] Full Finance information available on request

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Saturday, 25 September 2021

1.7 Million Renters In Fear Of Putting Tenancy At Risk By Raising Fire Safety Concerns

Fire Door Safety Week research reveals more than one in ten renters fear that raising fire safety concerns will affect their tenancy

There is cause to complain: a third of all renters have experienced fire doors being damaged or propped open and a quarter noticed a broken fire alarm in the last 12 months alone

With renters also concerned about whether reporting issues will even lead to them being fixed, the Fire Door Safety Week campaign is calling for fire safety to be urgently prioritised and for landlords and individuals to Make Time to Save Lives

Millions of people privately renting or in social housing fear a revenge eviction if they raise fire safety concerns with landlords, despite issues such as inadequate fire doors and broken fire alarms being prevalent, new research to mark Fire Door Safety Week (20 – 26 September 2021) has found.

Shockingly, 13% of those privately renting in the UK– equating to 1.7 million people1 – fear that raising fire safety issues with their landlords will put their tenancy at risk. Furthermore, 12% of social housing tenants – equating to 468,000 people2 – have the same concerns.

The research also found that more than 1 in 10 (12%) renters wouldn’t report a fire-related issue because they thought their landlord was unlikely to fix the issue, based on previous experience. This correlated with the fact that the same proportion of renters, 12%, had not had their most recent fire safety-related issue resolved within three months of reporting it.

Helen Hewitt, CEO of the British Woodworking Federation which organises Fire Door Safety Week, said:

“Renters need to feel as though their voices are being heard and that any problems they raise will be fixed, otherwise it discourages the reporting of issues and the whole system breaks down, putting lives at serious risk. The fact that people feel anxious about reporting issues is a major cause for concern.

“The theme of this year’s Fire Door Safety Week campaign is Make Time to Save Lives, and we see this as a vital message. It’s crucial that both landlords and tenants take time to identify, report and resolve fire safety issues to ensure that lives are not needlessly lost to fires.”

What are the fire safety issues facing renters?

The seriousness of underreporting is underlined by the fact that fire safety issues are prevalent in all forms of rented accommodation.

A third (33%) of all renters have experienced fire doors being damaged or propped open in the last 12 months, a quarter (25%) have been living with a broken or missing fire extinguisher, and just under a quarter (23%) were aware of a smoke alarm that wasn’t working. More than one in 10 renters (14%) have had concerns over their building’s cladding in the past year and the same proportion have noticed a fire exit in their property being blocked.

Exploring these issues in more detail, research found that people living in privately rented housing are more likely to be living with fire safety-related issues in their homes than social housing tenants. Twice as many private renters had experienced a smoke alarm not working in the last 12 months and three times as many had experienced fire doors being damaged or propped open in the same period, compared to those living in social housing.

Commenting on these findings, Helen Hewitt said:

“Fire safety measures such as fire doors play a vital role in containing the spread of smoke and fire, allowing building occupants to safely exit a building in the event of a fire while emergency services respond. It’s shocking that despite the government’s focus on improving fire safety across the UK, those in rental properties continue to be put at risk through inadequate fire safety measures including damaged fire doors.

“In England alone there were 176 fire-related fatalities in dwelling fires and more than 6,500 non-fatal casualties in 2020. Private and social housing landlords have a duty of care to ensure that their tenants live in safe properties, and we urge then to act without delay so that those people are protected.”

Gavin Tomlinson, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council’s Protection Committee said:

“Fire doors that are damaged, poorly fitted or wedged open are not fire doors, they are just doors – they will not save lives or protect property.

“We encourage tenants to report any fire safety concerns to their landlord and if these are not resolved contact your local authority or seek advice from your fire and rescue service. It’s important that the minority of landlords who do not comply with the law should not be allowed to ignore fire safety and put the lives of tenants at risk.”

Making time for fire safety

The research also highlighted that among both renters and homeowners, fire safety is a lower priority when it comes to fixing or reporting broader household problems. Overall only 5% of people would report a fire door being damaged, compared to 32% who would report or fix their front door not locking properly, 17% who would report appliances not working and 11% who would report a porch light not working.

Helen Hewitt concluded:

“It only takes one fire for the importance of fire doors to become very apparent, very quickly. Together we can all play a part in ensuring they remain fit for purpose and ready to help save lives, and we urge people not to wait to check their fire doors.”

For more information on Fire Door Safety Week, visit: https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/

For more information on revenge evictions, visit Shelter - shelter.org.uk

1 13.1% of 13 million in privately rented homes is 1.7 million.

2 12% of 3.9 million in socially rented homes is 468,000.

3 England – 153,278 fires, 221 fire casualties / Scotland – 24,471 fires, 27 fire casualties / Wales – 10,585 fires, 10 fire casualties

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Friday, 24 September 2021

ASSA ABLOY launches new fire doorset guide to support Fire Door Safety Week 2021

To help support this year’s Fire Door Safety Week, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland has launched a new best practice guide on how to specify, install, maintain and inspect fire-certified doorsets in residential and commercial buildings.

Available to download at this link, the ‘Fire Doorsets’ guide has been compiled based on the knowledge and expertise of ASSA ABLOY’s FDIS-trained inspectors, as well as insights and information from a range of third-party accreditation bodies and trade associations, including the Door & Hardware Federation, Fire Industry Association, and Secured By Design.

The guide is intended to help all those responsible for fire safety in residential and commercial environments, such as architects and specifiers, installers, landlords, local authorities, building owners, and facilities managers – particularly at a time when fire safety is in the spotlight, due to the national Fire Door Safety Week campaign.

Running from 20 – 26 September, Fire Door Safety Week 2021 hopes to raise awareness of the critical role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property. Established by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) and supported by the BWF Fire Door Alliance, the awareness campaign illustrates why it’s crucial to understand the factors that ensure a fire door performs as intended, with product manufacture, quality, installation and maintenance all playing a part.

Eryl Jones, Managing Director of the ASSA ABLOY Door Hardware Group, said:

“The correct specification, maintenance and management of fire doors can be the difference between life and death for people, not to mention the damage fires can cause to property and valuables.

“In our new ‘Fire Doorsets’ guide, we tackle all considerations throughout a fire doorset’s lifecycle. From standards, certification and security, to their design, specification and installation, right through to their ongoing usage, maintenance and inspection, our intention is to help empower those responsible for fire safety with everything that they need to know.

“Some of the stats surrounding fire safety in the UK are staggering. There are 20,000 commercial fires in the UK every year[1]. Research suggests that the economy has lost £1 billion in GDP and 5,000 jobs from preventable fires in commercial properties[2]. One study found that larger fires in schools cost on average £2.8 million to repair, and in some cases as much as £20 million[3]. And last year, a Freedom of Information request responded to by 147 UK local authorities, found 63 per cent of planned fire door maintenance and replacement did not progress as scheduled[4]. It’s clear that there’s still plenty of work to be done around improving awareness of the critical role fire doorsets play in protecting life and property.

“We hope our new guide acts as an invaluable resource for those tasked with fire safety in buildings, ensuring everyone throughout the doorset’s lifecycle plays their part in upholding the highest fire safety standards.”

Please visit www.assaabloyopeningsolutions.co.uk/en/whitepapers to download the guide for free.

For more information on ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, please visit www.assaabloyopeningsolutions.co.uk, email AASS-Forum@assaabloy.com or call 0845 223 2124.

[1] IFSEC Global, ‘Fire extinguishers: your legal obligations’, https://www.ifsecglobal.com/fire-news/fire-extinguishers-legal-obligations/#:~:text=Fire%20extinguishers%3A%20your%20legal%20obligations%20There%20are%20nearly%2020%2C000%20commercial,premises%20or%20run%20a%20business

[2] Business Sprinkler Alliance, ‘£1 billion cost of warehouse fires to UK Plc’, https://www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org/news/1-billion-cost-of-warehouse-fires-to-uk-plc/

[3] Zurich Municipal, ‘Schools twice as likely as other buildings to be hit by a blaze’, https://www.zurich.co.uk/news-and-insight/schools-twice-as-likely-as-other-buildings-to-be-hit-by-a-blaze

[4] Fire Door Safety Week, ‘Fire door delays in local authority properties’, https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/app/uploads/2020/09/FDSW_INFOGRAPHIC_2020.pdf

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Thursday, 23 September 2021

Door & Hardware Federation supports Fire Door Safety Week 2021

More than four years following the tragic fire in the Grenfell Tower, we are still waiting for the full legislative response from the government.

While it is accepted that the public inquiry has yet to complete its work, are there measures, perhaps including some of those contained in Dame Judith Hackitt's report from 2018, which could have been introduced already?

The Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) is convinced that there are initiatives which could be undertaken today, without pre-judging any findings of the public inquiry. For example, chief among these would be the introduction of a legal requirement for third-party certification of fire-resisting doorsets.

The Hackitt report calls for third-party certification of safety-critical construction products and it is clear that fire doorsets at Grenfell failed to protect the landings and the stairwell from smoke and fire spreading from the flats. This failure to protect the escape route had fatal consequences.

Fire door certification could be introduced without affecting requirements relating to other components or structures which may be still under consideration. There are several certification schemes in existence today covering manufacture, installation and inspection of fire doorsets, but, even so, some time would inevitably be required for existing facilities to be expanded. This makes it all the more important to begin the process now, without waiting for decisions to be made in other areas.

“Fire-resisting doorsets are obviously safety-critical and should therefore be subject to third party certification, at least when the intended use is in high-risk buildings,” explains DHF’s General Manager and Secretary, Michael Skelding. “There really should be little need for discussion on this. If we wait for all the other issues raised by Grenfell to be debated before dealing with this one, we are missing a golden opportunity to make a significant improvement in fire safety in high-risk residential buildings”.

DHF’s recommendations come on the cusp of this year’s Fire Door Safety Week, a national safety awareness campaign that was first launched in 2013 and is, this year, taking place from 20th – 26th September. DHF has been a long-standing supporter of the objectives of Fire Door Safety Week, and as always, the federation will be putting its weight behind the campaign’s objectives to raise awareness of the critical role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property.

“We are very pleased to be able to support Fire Door Safety Week once again this year, and applaud its efforts to increase the public’s understanding of the role that fire doors play,” says Michael.

“We continue to stress that the use of fire doorsets, correctly installed and with robust fire door maintenance procedures, are a vital part of fire safety and urge those in positions of responsibility to seek the correct training with regards to installation and maintenance. Equally important is that companies carrying out the manufacturing, installation and repair of these doorsets are also certified.”

Door & Hardware Federation
01827 52337
www.dhfonline.org.uk

Image: Michael Skelding

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Wednesday, 22 September 2021

In Support of Fire Door Safety Week, Ironmongerydirect Strengthens its Fire Safety Resources

Pledging its support for this years Fire Door Safety Week, specialist ironmongery supplier IronmongeryDirect has added to its library of fire safety resources. Aiming to stamp out the legacy of fire door neglect, the company has produced a series of videos and guides on fire door compliance that are free to view and download from its website.

IronmongeryDirect is raising awareness of the importance of fire door hardware during Fire Door Safety Week and will be sharing advisory content on its blog and social media channels. During the weeklong campaign, a series of videos that provide a visual checklist of the five essential fire door components will be released to support tradesmen responsible for fitting these products.

The series of videos will cover products that must be accurately specified, installed and maintained to help safeguard the performance of a fire door. The videos join an extensive suite of fire safety resources offered by the ironmongery supplier, including its Fire Protection and Fire Door Closer guides.

Commenting on the company’s support of Fire Door Safety Week, Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect says:

“Improperly fitted or neglected fire doors are all too often the cause of casualties during fires and in many cases, individuals are simply unaware of the serious and devastating consequences this can have on the safety of building occupants.

“As an annual supporter of Fire Door Safety Week, we view it as our responsibility to spread the word and help educate our customers on the legal compliance and specification of fire door hardware through our guides and videos, to help ensure protection and in turn, save lives.”

Running from 20th - 26th September, Fire Door Safety Week is an awareness campaign designed to increase public understanding of the vital role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property.

From the 20th of September the fire safety guides, and video will be available to view on the IronmongeryDirect blog at: www.IronmongeryDirect.co.uk/blog

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Tuesday, 21 September 2021

Abloy UK calls for greater education on fire door safety and compliance to save lives

To mark Fire Door Safety Week 2021, Abloy UK has called for greater awareness and education of fire door compliance, highlighting the additional challenges that the adoption of flexible working has placed on managing access control and occupant life-safety in commercial buildings.

Pat Jefferies, Commercial Director at Abloy UK, explains:

“The commercial working environment has changed drastically over the last year, with many organisations adopting a more flexible way of working with a mix of on-site and working from home.

“This means many commercial buildings will potentially have significantly reduced occupancy, but just because a building has fewer people in it, doesn’t mean fire safety can be overlooked or underestimated.

“In the event of an emergency such as a fire, there needs to be a reliable exit route that allows a quick and easy escape, so it’s vital the correct locking solutions are installed at access points. As well as the importance from a life-safety perspective, this will also help to control the flow of people.”

It’s positive news that UK fire statistics show a reduction in incidents, with 153,314 fires in the 2019/2020 period [1] - a six per cent decrease compared with the previous year – but one fire or fatality is one too many.

With this in mind, the Abloy Academy has been educating delegates on fire door compliance for over a decade, offering a free-of-charge Electrical Locking Fire and Escape Doors CPD course.

This RIBA Approved CPD covers the fundamental requirements when incorporating access control systems in commercial buildings, including the electric locking options available, and how to design standard-compliant access control systems.

It also explains how to ensure that electric locking specifications meet the requirements of both fire door and escape door legislation. This includes BS EN 179 Emergency Escape (for when the building occupants are aware of the building environment), BS EN 1125 Panic Escape (for environments used by the general public) and BS EN 13637 Electronically Controlled Escape Systems (for use on escape routes).

These standards state that even if a door is electronically controlled for access there must be a compliant mechanical means of escape in an emergency. In the case of fire doors, this is essential to provide fire protection, compartmentalise a building and protect the escape routes.

As well as providing free courses on fire door compliance, Abloy UK also offers a range of compliant security product packages that are specifically designed for panic and escape doors. Its range of electric locks includes motor and solenoid locks, which are the most effective forms of electric locking and adhere to the mandatory fire and escape standards.

Pat adds: “When it comes to access control in public and commercial buildings, there is no greater responsibility than specifying and installing the correct locking solution on emergency escape and fire doors.

“Although Fire Door Safety Week gives us a relevant platform to highlight these issues, fire door safety should be front of mind all year round – especially when the ultimate cost from non-compliance can be the loss of life.”

To view the full range of training options available and book your place, go to https://www.abloy.co.uk/en/abloy/abloy-co-uk/academy/.

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.

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/959838/fire-and-rescue-incident-sep20-hosb0521.pdf

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Monday, 20 September 2021

Fire Door Safety – Time to Bridge the Gap

Fire safety doesn’t happen by accident, it requires universal attention. With that, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK explores why the importance of working fire doors is often overlooked and why now is an opportune time to bridge the gap between fire safety education and action.

Improving fire safety within UK buildings is a challenge we are all continuously facing. Irrelevant of sector, it’s of the highest importance for any building type - from schools and hospitals to high-rise residential and industrial facilities. Because when it comes to fire, there are no exemptions.

Most of us are only made aware of the danger of fire from headline disasters and yet, in the year ending March 2021, fire response teams attended 151,086 fires in the UK, of which the average total response time to primary fires in England was 8 minutes and 35 seconds.

Fire doors play a fundamental role in these scenarios and are rigorously constructed and tested to British Standards BS 476: Part 22 or BS EN 1634-1 to ensure they remain fire resistant for a minimum of 30 minutes (FD30) or 60 minutes (FD60) - holding out long enough to cover response times and evacuation.

Fire door hardware is also meticulously designed to comply with UK Construction Products Regulations and is tested under BS EN 1154, BS EN 1155 and BS EN 1634 standards and CE marked. After all, without functioning hardware, a fire door is rendered useless.

Fire door safety is an area that should never be neglected. Often, fire doors are the first line of defense in protecting people and property in the event of a fire - but only when installed and maintained appropriately. Yet, as incident reports repeatedly highlight, the significance of working fire doors remains habitually overlooked.

The latest in reformed guidelines hope to address this, with the introduction of this year’s Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Bill highlighting the diligent detail in which all responsible parties must approach the subject.

Missing knowledge

Fire doors fall under what’s described as a building’s passive fire protection system. At their most basic and when closed, they form a barrier and enable a building to compartmentalise the spread of fire and smoke. When open, they provide an essential means of escape. Yet there’s nothing rudimentary about fire door safety.

However, danger commonly lies where fire door safety is misunderstood. Especially when you consider that last year alone, for local authorities, a staggering 65% of 26,318 planned fire door maintenance and replacement phases did not progress as scheduled - leaving doors neglected and buildings vulnerable. And while some may dispute that 2020 fell to extenuating circumstances, there’s no argument that fire door safety has become too easy to neglect.

Closing The Gap

Evidently, the gap in fire door safety expertise is resulting in poor design choices, faltering standards and general lack of knowledge. While it’s clear that expertise is lacking across various touchpoints - think product selection, installation and maintenance - there is momentum to incite real change and the resources to improve awareness and education.

In response, and leading by example, is the Architects Registration Board (ARB) which recently published guidance to suggest fire safety is taught under architecture curriculum at universities. And while this shows positive steps are being made, the onus can’t solely be passed to the next generation of architectural professionals. All professional areas must commit and, in an age where information is almost instantaneous, there are several methods to gain a greater understanding of fire door safety - and all from trusted sources.

In light of Fire Door Safety Week, the British Woodworking Federation Group shares regular advice and useful toolkits on fire door safety; including a five step checklist that’s designed to support building owners in assessing their own fire doors (via certification, apertures, gaps and seals, closers and operation).

Information pools like this provide modern building managers with the know-how they need to monitor and act - making the decision to repair or replace fire doors where necessary. For those actively involved in the maintenance stage, further guidance on topics such as certification and door closer adjustments is available online and by manufacturer request - showing fire door safety doesn’t need to be tackled alone.

When it comes to product selection and installation, there’s also a wealth of information and walkthroughs available in the form of detailed product datasheets and installation guides. These can often be found online and allow for a greater understanding on the hardware that’s available, leading to better design decisions and more reliable installation.

Aside from product manuals, installers and contractors are commonly offered specialist site visits, training portals and even hardware classification guides in a bid to assist with projects post-installation. With this, professionals can ensure that their standards don’t slip after time passes, by understanding more about the rounded process that fire door safety is and being ready for maintenance periods when they approach.

Today’s associations, professional bodies and manufacturers are on hand more than ever to assist specifiers, installers and end users throughout the process that is fire door safety. The support is there, and the resources are readily available and so, there’s now a real opportunity to improve fire safety awareness and education for the better.

How Allegion UK can Help

Allegion UK has a wealth of resources to help professionals undertake product selection, installation and maintenance checks on fire doors and hardware. This simple toolkit provides information and tips on detecting potential faulty doors and poor installation, a guide to the EN classification system and a safety checklist.

There’s also an option to order a free door gap tester or download Allegion’s general guide to service and maintenance for free. For information on product selection and installation, please speak to our experts or head to our download centre for technical fitting instructions.

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