In response, DHF (Door & Hardware Federation) has published a new guidance document, DHF Guidance on Servery Fire Shutters, to bring clarity to an issue that has become increasingly difficult for manufacturers, installers and maintenance providers to navigate.
At the heart of the problem is the way fire roller shutters are regulated. In the UK, they are covered by harmonised product standards that sit under the Construction Product Regulation. This places clear legal responsibility on manufacturers to ensure their products are correctly tested, certified and marked before being placed on the market.
Fire shutters must carry CE marking in the EU and UKCA marking in the UK, supported by a Declaration of Performance. Currently, CE marking continues to be accepted in the UK following recent Government guidance.
Since November 2019, manufacturers of fire doors, including roller shutters, have been required to obtain certification for fire resistance through an approved certification body, in line with EN 16034. For roller shutters specifically, this certification can only apply where the product is also covered by the main door standard, EN 13241. The process is detailed and ongoing, involving factory audits, fire testing, classification reports and continued surveillance of production systems.
The difficulty arises when these rules are applied to servery shutters. The main fire test standard assumes that a door closes fully to the floor. There is currently no recognised provision within the relevant extended application rules that enables certification to be issued for a shutter that stops at counter height if the fire test was carried out on a shutter that closed to the floor. As certification bodies have reviewed their schemes more closely, some have concluded that their existing certificates simply do not cover this type of installation. This has created real challenges across the supply chain. Manufacturers may find that, without additional testing and separate certification, they are unable to legally CE or UKCA mark a fire shutter intended to close onto a counter. Installers, meanwhile, are left questioning whether a product is genuinely certified for the way it is being used, and whether an alternative design, such as a shutter that closes to the floor in front of the servery, may be required.
For maintenance providers, the position is slightly different. Their role is to assess what is installed on site, checking for evidence of fire performance, reviewing the condition of the shutter and surrounding structure, and observing how the door operates. If no fire performance evidence exists, they can report on condition and operation, but they are not responsible for judging whether the product was legally placed on the market under the Construction Product Regulation.
Recognising how complex and uncomfortable this situation has become, DHF has stepped in to provide clear, plain-language guidance. The document explains what the standards currently say, why servery shutters fall into a grey area, and what each party in the supply chain should reasonably be expected to do.
Since November 2019, manufacturers of fire doors, including roller shutters, have been required to obtain certification for fire resistance through an approved certification body, in line with EN 16034. For roller shutters specifically, this certification can only apply where the product is also covered by the main door standard, EN 13241. The process is detailed and ongoing, involving factory audits, fire testing, classification reports and continued surveillance of production systems.
The difficulty arises when these rules are applied to servery shutters. The main fire test standard assumes that a door closes fully to the floor. There is currently no recognised provision within the relevant extended application rules that enables certification to be issued for a shutter that stops at counter height if the fire test was carried out on a shutter that closed to the floor. As certification bodies have reviewed their schemes more closely, some have concluded that their existing certificates simply do not cover this type of installation. This has created real challenges across the supply chain. Manufacturers may find that, without additional testing and separate certification, they are unable to legally CE or UKCA mark a fire shutter intended to close onto a counter. Installers, meanwhile, are left questioning whether a product is genuinely certified for the way it is being used, and whether an alternative design, such as a shutter that closes to the floor in front of the servery, may be required.
For maintenance providers, the position is slightly different. Their role is to assess what is installed on site, checking for evidence of fire performance, reviewing the condition of the shutter and surrounding structure, and observing how the door operates. If no fire performance evidence exists, they can report on condition and operation, but they are not responsible for judging whether the product was legally placed on the market under the Construction Product Regulation.
Recognising how complex and uncomfortable this situation has become, DHF has stepped in to provide clear, plain-language guidance. The document explains what the standards currently say, why servery shutters fall into a grey area, and what each party in the supply chain should reasonably be expected to do.
“There has been a clear need to simplify and clarify this issue for the industry," explains DHF’s Senior Training & Compliance Officer, Steve Hill. “Servery fire shutters present a very specific challenge because the current standards were not written with this type of installation in mind. Our guidance sets out the facts and helps members understand their responsibilities while we await changes to the standards.”
The federation has also raised the issue with the Office for Product Safety and Standards, seeking interim clarity while the relevant European standards are reviewed and updated. Until that happens, the guidance is intended to act as a steady reference point, helping companies make informed decisions, manage risk responsibly, and have open, informed conversations with their clients.
The guidance is now available from the DHF website and forms part of the federation’s wider commitment to supporting professionalism, improving understanding and raising standards across the door and shutter industry.
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