The Door Industry Journal

Friday, 20 March 2020

New Security Standards for TD68

TD68 thermal, commercial door from aluminium systems specialist Jack Aluminium has passed the STS202 test, making it one of the most secure aluminium commercial doors on the market.

Jeff Pearson, Sales & Marketing Director at Jack Aluminium explains:

“For a growing number of architects and specifiers, PAS24 accreditation isn’t enough. There is real demand for an aluminium commercial door set that had passed the STS202 standard, and as we already had the robust, secure TD68 door, it made sense to continue pushing it.

“I’m thrilled to say it passed with flying colours. The STS202 test is brutal and focuses on continuous attacks on the glazing and the beading as well as attacks on the locking systems with large jemmies. The great news for fabricators? There is no difference in the door fabrication process. No additional locks, no additional rebates, no additional design solutions were applied – it’s the standard TD68 door.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the team at RED Systems in Neston, who identified that this higher security standard was becoming more and more prevalent in the marketplace. Like us, they were fully confident that the TD68 system could cope with the rigours of this test. The test doors were fabricated by the expert services of Paul Evans Architectural in Leeds who as always did a superb job of manufacturing the TD68 door sets for the test.”

Jeff adds:

“Input from our customers is so valuable to us to ensure that we are delivering the products they need. RED Systems supported us all the way through this process and their attendance at the various tests was instrumental in achieving the STS202 – BR2 level standard.

“STS202 is another important standard to add to the long list of accreditations that the TD68 holds. This door goes from strength to strength – it’s the ideal solution on projects where higher security standards are being specified.”

For more information contact Jack Aluminium Systems on 024 7646 7449, email: sales@jackaluminium.co.uk or visit www.jackaluminium.co.uk

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Thursday, 19 March 2020

New App Launches to Help Building Surveyors & Fire Safety Professionals Comply with Regulation 38

Leading fire safety business, Thermatech Fire Consultants (TFC), is launching a new smartphone and android app ‘Regulation 38’ to help the property development sector report key information surrounding fire safety.

Regulation 38 aims to ensure information critical to the life safety of people using or working near a building in the event of fire is communicated to the owner, occupier and/or end user; ultimately to make it available to the fire authorities to enable them to form firefighting strategies for the building/s in the case of a fire.

Following a number of high-profile fire incidents in recent years, including the University of Bolton student accommodation, Barking residential block and Grenfell Tower, the need for Regulation 38 as the ‘Golden Thread of Information’ has now become more prominent than ever before.

The ‘Golden Thread of Information’ is a term for Regulation 38 coined by Dame Judith Hackitt who is leading the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety in the Grenfell Tower inquiry.

It seeks to record key information about a building’s fire safety properties and relay this from architects to fire engineers through to building safety managers to owners.

This allows the responsible persons to meet their legal obligations under the Fire Safety Order 2005.

To present this information, Suffolk based fire consultants TFC has created its new Regulation 38 app, for smartphones and tablets, which generates a Regulation 38 report, without compromising on competency.

Ashley Wood, Managing Director of Thermatech Fire Consultants, said:

“We’ve invested heavily in the Regulation 38 app as we see it being a real game changer for the industry.

“This technological advancement increases accessibility for all stakeholders in the property management chain to the ‘Golden Thread of Information’.

“We have already experienced significant interest from businesses and associations within the fire safety sector and look forward to the app becoming a regular tool for building surveyors and fire safety professionals.”

Regulation 38 is a requirement under the Building Regulations for England and Wales to provide fire safety information to the 'responsible person' at the completion of a project, or where the building or extension is first occupied.

With more than 40 years of industry experience, Thermatech Fire Consultants has designed and developed the Regulation 38 app to make it easier to record data and submit results instantly, producing a report presented in the user company’s branding.

Available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play, the Regulation 38 app will take users through the steps required to ensure compliance with Regulation 38.

For more information on Thermatech Fire Consultants’ Reg 38 app, go to www.regulation38.co.uk.

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Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Download your FREE Window Restrictor Guide

In response to the Certass Best Practice Guide for Window Restrictors, there’s a new guide to window restrictors from Cubelock.

It’s easy to download from www.cubelockrestrictor.com, and shows the best products for each application.

Toby Staff, Managing Director of Cubelock manufacturers New Star Door Controls said:

“We know that there are still unnecessary deaths and injuries because window restrictors haven’t been installed or installed incorrectly.

“Every time I see something reported in the news, it makes me feel angry. That’s why we continue to raise the awareness of the importance of window restrictors.

“We are very pleased to see the Best Practice Guide from Certass, and our new downloadable guide means anyone can get the information.”

The new guide includes information on homes, student accommodation and high security units, as well as a fire escape option.

It’s designed for anyone responsible for fitting or maintaining windows and it’s free to download from the Cubelock Restrictor website in the downloads section. Cubelock products are available now from Window Ware.

To get a copy go to: http://bit.ly/Cubelock or for more information contact Toby Staff at Newstar Door Controls Limited on 01474 353111 or email sales@cubelockrestrictor.com

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Tuesday, 17 March 2020

Safe and Sound-Free with Norseal

When Marriott International recently undertook a major refurbishment of their stunning London Kensington Hotel, the comfort and safety of their guests was a major consideration in their plans.

Noise from inside the hotel – particularly from the corridor - is one of the most common causes of complaint from hotel guests, leading to tired and unhappy customers, so effective acoustic insulation of hotel bedroom doors is a vital consideration.

To achieve the correct levels of sound attenuation for its doors, the company used solutions from market-leading specialist seals manufacturer Norseal to ensure that their doors are able to stop the spread of fire, smoke and noise.

Whether you’re travelling for work or for pleasure, getting a good night’s sleep is top of the list for most hotel guests. There’s nothing worse than trying to get some shut-eye and being disturbed by noise from the corridor.

Marriott International employed Norseal’s NOR810 automatic drop seals during the refurbishment of the London Kensington property to help ensure that noise is not an issue for their guests. Designed with ease of installation in mind, the NOR810 seal features Norseal’s new parallel drop technology, making for better floor contact and smoother operation in everyday use.

Hotel fires have been in the news in recent months. Marriott International fitted Norseal’s Pyroplex fire and smoke intumescent strips around doors during the London Kensington property’s refurbishment to help protect guests from the spread of fire and smoke, should the worst happen.

With a high tack self-adhesive backing, Norseal Pyroplex intumescent strips can easily be cut down for ease of installation. Naturally, the product has been fire tested to standards defined in BS 476: Part 22: 1987 as well as smoke tested in accordance with BS 476: Part 31: 1987.

Cleanliness is another big issue for hotel guests, which is why Norseal Pyroplex intumescent strips are designed to be easy to clean, something that is much appreciated by housekeeping staff.

Part of the European Athmer Group, Norseal is the leading provider of specialist door seal solutions. 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.

www.norseal.co.uk

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Monday, 16 March 2020

Woodrite Kinver collection: The Go-to-Gate Range

Woodrite’s Kinver range of driveway gates is relatively new, but it has already become a go-to product for customers that want Woodrite quality.

Built with the same attention to detail that has made Woodrite’s reputation for timber garage doors second to none, the Kinver range is available in cedar, iroko, idigbo and Accoya®.

The classic flat and arched designs are available in solid and railed versions and there is also a 5-bar design to complete the line up.

The gates are available fully finished in the same wide range of colours as the garage door ranges and come with up to a 5-year finish warranty on cedar, iroko and idigbo and up to 10-years on Accoya®.

Size for the gates are up to 2400mm high and 4800mm wide as a pair of leaves. The gates can also made as a single leaf for sliding operation.

Matched side gates for pedestrian access are also available.

Woodrite is also able to build gates to match any of its garage door styles for a complete driveway package.

“We know no one else does this, but we’re confident of the demand for a matched garage door and gate package.” Commented John Brooks, Woodrite’s CEO.

Contact Sharon Cleaver at Woodrite on 01280 841010 for details of the Woodrite gate range.

www.woodrite.co.uk

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Sunday, 15 March 2020

Research Finds Millions of Potholes could be left Unrepaired Each Year even after Budget Announcement

More than two million potholes a year could be left unrepaired on UK roads, even after the announcement of £500 million extra funding a year from HM Treasury to battle the UK’s pothole crisis, according to new research by Citroën UK.

Last year’s 2019 Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) report showed councils in England and Wales were £657 million short on the funds they needed for road maintenance and pothole repairs*. Citroën’s Advanced Comfort® suspension technology with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions® has been designed to reduce the impact of road imperfections on ride comfort.

In the 2020 Budget, announced on March 11, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, confirmed a £500 million bonus each year for the next five years to repair potholes across the UK. The Government has pledged to spend £1.5 billion in 2020-2021 on road repairs across the country, with the aim of repairing 50 million potholes in the next five years**.

According to analysis of the 2019 ALARM Survey – which is based on feedback from local authorities across England and Wales – the measures may not be enough. With a £657 million shortfall in annual funding, the new Budget measures could still leave more than two million potholes a year in need of repairs, even after the extra £500 million is added to local council funding across the country***.

The new funding is set to improve journeys for motorists. Since 2013, the 365 local authorities across England and Wales have spent more than £74 million paying drivers compensation for damage caused by potholes****.

Vehicles with worn suspension or old dampers are particularly vulnerable to damage, as these are the key components that absorb the shocks from the road.

Citroën’s Advanced Comfort® suspension technology with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions® provides drivers with a superior and safe ride – regardless of the road conditions.

To filter out the worst bumps and dips on the road, Citroën has added hydraulic bump stops to its suspension design – for rebound and compression – allowing the suspension to better adapt to shocks from the road surface.

Progressive Hydraulic Cushions® absorb and reduce the impact of a pothole being felt inside the cabin, with the second hydraulic stop, rebound is also limited giving a smoother ride.

Progressive Hydraulic Cushions® technology is fitted, as standard, on Citroën’s flagship model, C5 Aircross SUV, as well as C4 Cactus, the brand’s family hatchback.

Souad Wrixen, Marketing Director, Citroën UK, said:

“The state of the roads in England and Wales is no secret to anyone, so people up and down the country will welcome this latest announcement of a significant increase in the funding to repair our roads.

“For when you do encounter broken roads however, as a brand, we are committed to providing our customers with the ultimate in-cabin comfort experience and this is where Citroën’s Advanced Comfort® technology comes in, to help take the edge off the worst of the UK’s roads.”

Last year, Citroën UK teamed up with Surrey County Council to smooth over 200 potholes in the county. The rationale behind the initiative was to give drivers of all vehicle types a taste of the comfort experienced up and down the UK by owners of Citroën C4 Cactus Hatch and C5 Aircross SUV.

To find out more about Citroën and its Advanced Comfort® programme, please visit: www.citroen.co.uk

* ALARM 2019: https://www.asphaltuk.org/wp-content/uploads/alarm-survey-2019-digital.pdf

**https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2020-documents/budget-2020

*** According to the 2019 ALARM Survey, the average unplanned repair cost of a pothole is £65.33. Even after the extra £500 million a year in added spending, local authorities could face an annual shortfall of £157 million in road maintenance budgets, which could leave 2,403,183 unrepaired potholes on English and Welsh roads.

****Citroën analysed each of the Asphalt Industry Alliance – Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) surveys since 2013 to calculate the total number of potholes filled in England and Wales, as well as money spent on repairs, and compensation.

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Saturday, 14 March 2020

Could Coronavirus Revolutionise Working from Home in the UK?

The increase in UK companies implementing work from home policies to try to stop the spread of coronavirus could lead to a revolution in the way that we see remote working, says workplace stress and mental health organisation, Mente.

It is believed that approximately 1,722,000 people regularly work from home in the UK. But many organisations, both large and small, have recently been encouraging employees to work from home, in a response to coronavirus.

Mente report that many people have found themselves working from home for the first time. Many businesses are also wondering how to navigate remote working to ensure that it works for employees and for the business.

Mel Joseph, founder and managing director of Mente, believes that the current situation could act as a catalyst towards higher sustained levels of homeworking in the UK.

Working from home has previously been found to improve productivity and worker health. The outbreak may prompt many businesses to make better use of remote working in the future, as they discover the benefits of it.

Mel advises that businesses should be proactive, strategic, and supportive in their approaches towards remote working.

Mel commented:

“It’s important to take the health of remote workers as seriously as you’d take the health of workers that you see in-person. Think strategically and develop good policies and procedures. Cover remote workers in your stress risk assessments, use employee surveys, and provide them with support.

“There are a number of small things that businesses can do to ensure that remote working runs smoothly. Firstly, good communication is vital. There are multiple ways of communicating when working from home - like instant messaging, video calls, as well as emails and phone calls. Using the right kind of communication, and communicating often, is key. Talk about things other than work, too, to build relationships.”

She also said that it was important to be clear and trusting, saying:

“Use online task scheduling software to set goals and deadlines, and to explain tasks clearly. Tell employees to contact line managers if they don't understand a task, and ensure employees feel comfortable doing this. But also remember to trust your team, and don’t be automatically suspicious about what they’re doing when they’re working from home.”

Mente help businesses to manage stress and mental health through their digital platform, which houses CPD accredited mental health training, business diagnostic and performance tools, and direct access to further support.

Mel added: “Our digital platform can be accessed from anywhere, on any device or browser, at any time. If businesses are looking to support employees who are working from home, then technology like ours can be useful, as it eliminates traditional barriers like time and location.”

If you would like to know more about this, contact info@mente.co.uk or visit www.mente.co.uk

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Friday, 13 March 2020

Outstanding Door Hardware Professionals Celebrated at Industry Awards

The best and brightest within the door hardware industry were celebrated at the annual Institute of Architectural Ironmongers (IAI) awards ceremony on 7 March 2020.

The IAI Fellowship Award is given to an individual who has shown a longstanding and ongoing commitment to the IAI over at least 10 years. This year’s winner was Kevin O’Reilly, technical director of Securefast.

Kevin has impressed fellow institute members through his many years of help and support, which include attending all IAI Midlands branch meetings, writing CPD presentations and volunteering for the GAI Education Committee.

The Paul Lewis Award for Customer Service is given to an individual, group or company that has made an outstanding commitment to customer services throughout the year.

Phoenix Sales (RJ) Ltd won the award after being nominated for its focus on providing a “first-class service” to its customer base. Phoenix Sales staff attend site visits as well as meetings with architects and clients to ensure they fully understand the specification required and the end users’ needs.

The GAI Award for Services to the Institute is awarded to a current IAI member who has made a recent and visible contribution at branch level.

This year’s winner was Chris Colley, technical director at Monaghan Planck. Chris has been a part of the IAI for nearly 30 years, after he completed his diploma in 1990. He was an active member of the South West branch during this time before becoming national chair in 1998. In 2002 he joined the North West branch and also chaired the regional branch from 2010-2012.

The Promising Ironmonger of the Year award went to Rav Jagdev, sales director at Phoenix Sales (RJ) Ltd. This award is given to the brightest ironmongers in the early stages of their careers.

Rav’s nomination describes his customer focussed approach to service and dedication to his own professional development. He is currently working towards RegAI status after recently completing his GAI diploma.

Deborah Cannon, chair of the IAI, said:

“The awards offer a great opportunity to celebrate the wealth of talent and commitment that is prevalent in this sector. It’s important that we recognise not only our dedicated industry professionals, but also the promising newcomers within the industry, and continue to support them throughout their career.”

The IAI Awards were held on the 7 March 2020 at the Hallmark Hotel, Gloucester. The awards were given at a dinner following the Institute’s AGM, an event that also included networking and CPD opportunities for Institute members.

www.gai.org.uk

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Thursday, 12 March 2020

New Bft E5 Compact Operator offers Host of Benefits for Installers and Users

Installers have always faced the challenge of installing gate motors in confined spaces. When fitting a pedestrian gate, there is often limited space in which to work – potentially making an installation time consuming and technically demanding.

The new E5 compact gate operator from Bft Automation offers a solution to the problem. The operator is not only small but has an optional slide lever attachment designed for installations where there is extremely limited space for manoeuvre, meaning that just 8cm of the pillar are needed for installation. What’s more, improved fixing points and a simple ‘hook and fasten’ process means assembly is safe, quick and straight forward.

The E5 for pedestrian gates offers a number of features for safety and practical use. It features automatic opening for easier entry – both remotely and in-situ. It offers various modes for automatic opening including with photocells, via a smartphone app, remote control, key code, door phone or the new ‘push and go’ function.

The E5 has the fastest opening and closing speed in its category from 4.5 - 6.5 seconds, depending on the weight and length of the gate leaf. There is also an option to set automatic gate closing – you never need have a gate left open again!

To maintain security in locations such as schools, police stations or hospitals, there is an option to limit entry to authorised personnel with access control.

The E5 is equipped with an absolute encoder providing safe and precise movement for the gate. It is also equipped with D-Track, BFT’s intelligent torque management system which means the gate’s level of torque is constantly updated; this helps to compensate for climatic conditions and the degree of wear and tear to ensure the best performance.

For further details, visit www.bftautomationuk.com

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Wednesday, 11 March 2020

Smart Tech is Changing Perceptions of Construction

The rise of smart technology is changing the reputation of construction, as the sector embraces innovative solutions to some of its more traditional challenges.

Health and safety are obvious concerns across all of the UK’s industries, but it’s of particular importance within construction as the rate of fatal injury is around four times as high as the average rate across all industries.

Smart technology company, Eave, has developed a unique hearing conservation system to protect against hazardous noise and the solution is spreading rapidly across the construction industry, with recent subscribers to the technology including Galliford Try, Ferrovial and Costain Skanska.

The investment in innovation by the construction industry is beginning to be recognised beyond the sector, with Eave CEO and founder, Dr David Greenberg, being awarded this year’s prestigious MIT Technology Review ‘Innovators Under 35’ accolade for Eave’s work with the construction sector.

The ‘MIT Innovators Under 35’ list celebrates outstanding innovators who are younger than 35 years of age, whose ingenious technical work promises to shape the coming decades and impacts the world at large.

Dr David Greenberg, a former NHS audiologist with a PhD in auditory neuroscience whose clinical practise left him appalled at the state of the UK’s hearing health, has been selected as one of 35 pioneers to receive the European award.

Dr Greenberg focussed his attention on the construction industry because it is a high risk area for noise exposure:

“All aspects of construction, including demolition, building, refurbishment and roadworks, present risks beyond most other industry workplaces. Whilst no workplace has zero risk, there is an obvious and major difference between the risks presented at a construction worker’s place of work and more conventional office based places of work.

“One of the key risks relates to noise exposure - employers have a legal duty to protect the hearing of operatives under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, yet it remains an ongoing challenge as noise induced hearing loss is still the most commonly reported occupational disease in the EU.”

Convinced that something more needed to be done to prevent noise exposure at work, Dr Greenberg developed the Eave solution: a digital headset that monitors and maps noise exposure, displaying it via a cloud based software platform.

The data is automatically analysed to produce accurate information about each worker’s noise exposure across a workplace or site. The use of smart technology to accurately measure and pinpoint noise on a construction site is game-changing, meaning employers have transparency when it comes to addressing health risks on site.

Eave headsets also use revolutionary ‘hear through’ technology, allowing wearers to continue to hear environmental sound, vastly improving the safety of workers.The Innovators Under 35 panel of judges praised the high level of innovation in the technology’s ability to "reduce loud background noise while improving conversations, allowing easy communication without overriding important audible signals such as alarms or sirens."

“I am delighted to receive this award and to be part of a growing culture of innovation within the construction industry. These are exciting times for the sector and I believe we will see IoT technology bring about a much needed revolution in the UK’s health and safety culture,” said Dr Greenberg.

Eave is a smart technology company created to help with the prevention of avoidable deafness through the monitoring of, and protection against, damaging noise levels. Founded by clinical and research audiologist, Dr. David Greenberg, Eave’s mission is to prevent occupational hearing loss, while raising awareness of the isolating and often debilitating impact of deafness.

www.eave.io

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