Global HSE Group launch and leadership appointment
Global HSE Group has launched a dedicated Health and Safety (H&S) division, positioned to provide Health and Safety, Fire and Water Hygiene support through a single provider for property investors and managing agents.
The company said the new division will be led by Paul Westwick, who joins as Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality (SHEQ) Lead.
Westwick is described as having specialist experience in commercial risk management across high-value portfolios in the built environment.
Global HSE Group said he has 25 years’ group management experience, built on 18 years’ advisory work.
Westwick said: “I am thrilled to lead the health and safety division.
“For too long, property managers have had to juggle three different consultancies for their core compliance needs.
“It creates gaps in data and gaps in safety.
“Our goal with this new division is to close those gaps.
“By integrating Fire Risk Assessments, Water Hygiene, and health and safety Auditing into one expert-led service, we are helping them build safer, more valuable assets.”
Scope of services and stated rationale
Global HSE Group said the launch responds to demand for an integrated approach to building safety, with the Building Safety Act 2022 increasing regulatory pressure on Accountable Persons.
The company described managing health and safety, fire and water including Legionella in separate workstreams as a risk.
The new division is intended to provide audits, policy management and ISO 45001 systems within health and safety support.
Fire safety support is described as Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) and strategies.
Water hygiene support is described as Legionella risk assessments and management systems.
Andrew Cooper, Managing Director of Global HSE Group, said: “This launch marks a pivotal step in our growth strategy.
“Our clients in the commercial and housing sectors have increasingly asked for a partner who can view compliance holistically rather than in isolation.
“By bringing Health and Safety and Water Hygiene in-house to sit alongside our established Fire Engineering and Passive Fire divisions, we can now offer a truly integrated safety solution.
“Paul’s commercial expertise and pragmatic approach make him the perfect leader to drive this division forward and deliver real value to our clients.”
Wang Fuk Court appointments to support the investigation
The Independent Committee investigating the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court has appointed two professors from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to assist in examining the incident.
The Standard reported that the appointees are Chair Professor of Building Science and Fire Safety Engineering Asif Sohail Usmani and Associate Professor and Associate Head (Partnership) of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Jiang Liming.
They will submit written reports and provide oral testimony at upcoming hearings.
Their expected areas of coverage include the cause of the fire, supervision of fire service installations, building renovation safety, inspection mechanisms, and the roles of government departments, authorised persons and contractors.
Areas of expertise and professional roles
PolyU said Usmani specialises in structural and fire safety engineering and fire dynamics.
His research focuses on enhancing the resilience of infrastructure and communities in the face of both man-made and natural disasters.
Jiang’s research centres on building fire safety and construction automation.
His work on “active opening for fire spread mitigation” earned him the Philip Thomas Medal of Excellence from the International Association for Fire Safety Science.
Jiang has served on multiple professional bodies, including three local committees under the Buildings Department, the Education Committee of the International Association for Fire Safety Science and the Fire and Life Safety Committee of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
He is also co-chair of the 12th International Conference on Structures in Fire and vice-director of the International Joint Research Laboratory on Smart Fire Safety Engineering at Tongji University.
The committee began operations last December to investigate the cause of the November blaze which claimed 168 lives, and to develop recommendations intended to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The programme for the NAHFO Annual Conference & Exhibition 2026 has been published for 8 to 10 June 2026 at the University of Liverpool.
NAHFO describes the three-day event as bringing together healthcare fire safety, estates and risk professionals.
Day one opens with welcome remarks from Stewart Crowe, Assistant Director at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Paul Fitzpatrick, Director of Estates & Facilities at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is listed to speak on responsible person and fire safety duties.
Cheryl Couling, Principal Consultant at Fire Safety Partnership, is scheduled to present an overview of the authorising engineer (fire) role within healthcare estates.
Louise Mansfield, Legal Director at Bevan Brittan, is scheduled to lead a session titled The Building Safety Act in Practice: What’s New, What Still Applies, What to Do Now.
The day one agenda also includes a TECL case study on passive fire protection and digital tools and a session on lithium-ion battery fire risk led by Emily Bond, PhD Researcher at Queen’s University Belfast.
Sessions listed across the three days of the NAHFO programme
Day two includes a session on hospital evacuation strategies led by Aoife Hunt, Professor of Crowd Safety and Security Science at the University of Greenwich, and Steve Gwynne, Professor of Evacuation and Pedestrian Dynamics at the University of Greenwich.
Graham Gray, Fire Safety Manager at the University of Sussex, is scheduled to present a case study on managing fire alarm incidents in a live campus environment.
Mansfield is scheduled to lead Fire Safety on Trial: Decisions, Consequences and Accountability, described as a courtroom-based session with audience participation.
Rik Hutchins, CEO at Soterweb, is listed to present an industry session on digital platforms for fire risk and building safety.
Mitch Dean, National Sales Manager at SDS, is scheduled to present on designing, testing and maintaining fire doors for complex healthcare environments.
The programme also lists a session on 3D building mapping with intelligent AI asset recognition led by Derek Lawrence and Lee Searle of Safelincs.
Aoife Hunt is scheduled to present a session titled Martyn’s Law Connected. Protected. Prepared?
A session on solar panels and photovoltaic systems is listed, focused on safety, risk and best practice.
Sponsors and day three CPD sessions
The published programme lists Honeywell as gold sponsor and BORIS Software Ltd/TECL_UK and SOTERweb as silver sponsors.
Day three is presented as a professional development day with four CPD-accredited sessions operating via a colour-coded rotation system.
The day three CPD sessions listed are titled Digital Workforce and Fire Safety Compliance and are attributed to Boris Software.
The programme also lists a closing reflections session titled Connected. Protected. Prepared – Reflections, Leadership and What Comes Next, including an announcement of the NAHFO Annual Conference 2027 in London.
The programme includes an AGM for members on day one and an awards dinner on day two.
The announcement described the current Massachusetts building code requirement for two exit stairs in buildings above three storeys or with long interior corridors.
The release said this requirement can make it harder to build mid-rise development on smaller parcels.
Driscoll said: “Building new housing that prioritizes affordability, enhancing the livability of our communities and keeping people safe couldn’t be more important as we respond to our housing shortage.”
“Our administration is spurring all kinds of housing production to meets the range of needs facing Massachusetts residents, so I’m eager for the advisory group to get started and study the feasibility of single stair construction while considering all possible safety risks.”
Advisory group remit and building code updates
The announcement said the Governor is establishing a technical advisory group to develop a process for evaluating whether, and under what conditions, single-stair multifamily residential buildings above three storeys can be safely permitted in Massachusetts.
The release said the group will include fire services, building officials, national architectural experts, accessibility advocates and public-safety professionals.
Its charge includes comparing single-stair and multi-stair buildings, identifying required fire and life safety precautions and recommending targeted updates to the State Building Code.
Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus said: “Every safe, evidence-based strategy to build more homes is needed to meet the housing demands we’re facing, and single-stair multifamily residential buildings could offer us a new way to increase our housing supply.”
“This executive order will bring together the right people – from fire safety officials to architects, accessibility experts and more – who will help us explore the possibilities and find the best path forward.”
Existing practice examples and land capacity estimates
The announcement said Massachusetts would be following an approach used in numerous U.S. states and in other countries if it adopts a single-stair standard for residential buildings above three storeys.
It gave examples including New York City and Seattle permitting single-stair buildings up to six storeys for decades and Honolulu legalising them in 2012.
It also said Tennessee, Montana and Connecticut have enacted legislation allowing single-stair buildings up to six storeys under specified safety conditions.
The release cited Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies identifying 4,955 underutilised parcels within ¾ mile of rapid transit that could host a mid-rise building.
It said the Joint Center for Housing Studies estimates these sites could produce up to 130,000 new housing units through urban infill alone if single stair is allowed up to six storeys and 24 units.
John Nunnari, Executive Director, AIA Massachusetts, said: “This is a thoughtful, evidence-driven step that brings together architects, fire-safety professionals and public officials to carefully evaluate how housing production, affordability and life-safety can be advanced together.”
“We look forward to contributing our expertise to a transparent, data-informed process that prioritizes both safe building design and the creation of much-needed housing across the Commonwealth.”
The release said the advisory group will study feasibility and safety risks as part of the executive order’s process.
Fire extinguishers should be inspected every month, professionally serviced once a year, and undergo deeper internal maintenance at six-year and twelve-year intervals, depending on the model.
These inspections ensure that extinguishers are ready to use and fully compliant with international fire safety standards.
Without routine checks, even a brand new extinguisher can fail when needed most.
Understanding how often these inspections must happen, why they matter, and what takes place during a fire extinguisher inspection is essential for anyone responsible for fire safety, including homeowners, employers, facility managers, and building supervisors.
Fire extinguishers are simple devices in appearance, but they have strict performance and safety expectations for effective fire suppression.
This article explains those expectations clearly and thoroughly so readers can feel confident that their equipment is reliable.
Key Takeaways
Fire extinguishers must be checked monthly, serviced annually, and maintained internally at six and twelve year intervals.
NFPA 10 is the governing standard for inspection, maintenance, and testing requirements.
Regular inspections ensure safety, legal compliance, and extinguisher reliability.
All major extinguisher types require periodic inspection, although their servicing needs vary.
Accurate documentation is required for compliance, insurance, and audit purposes.
Why Fire Extinguishers Need Inspecting
A fire extinguisher is only effective if it works the moment it’s needed.
Over time, these devices can deteriorate in ways that are not immediately obvious to the casual observer.
Pressure can slowly drop inside the cylinder, hoses can become brittle, and internal components can corrode.
Even something as simple as a missing safety pin or a partially obstructed nozzle can prevent an extinguisher from operating during a fire emergency.
Environmental factors play a major role in extinguisher degradation.
Heat, cold, humidity, mechanical impact, and chemical exposure can all affect the condition of a cylinder.
Extinguishers in busy workplaces, such as warehouses or kitchens, may be bumped, moved, or even used without being reported.
Without scheduled inspections, damage often goes unnoticed.
Another important reason for routine inspection is human behavior.
An extinguisher might appear untouched for years, yet a previous user may have partially discharged it, leaving just enough pressure to make the gauge appear normal while still rendering the extinguisher ineffective.
Regular checks catch these issues long before a fire reveals them.
In short, inspections ensure that extinguishers remain safe, functional, and capable of performing exactly as designed.
Why Fire Extinguisher Inspections are Important
The most immediate reason inspections matter is the protection of human life.
A properly functioning extinguisher can stop a small incident from turning into a devastating fire.
Early action often prevents injuries, property damage, business interruption, and even fatalities.
Building codes, insurance policies, workplace safety regulations, and fire authorities all rely on NFPA 10 to determine compliance.
Failing to meet these requirements can result in financial penalties, legal liability, and increased insurance costs.
Beyond safety and compliance, regular inspections save money over time.
Extinguishers that are monitored and maintained tend to last longer, reducing the need for costly replacements.
A well managed inspection program creates predictable maintenance schedules rather than emergency repairs.
How Frequently Should Fire Extinguishers Be Inspected?
The inspection schedule for fire extinguishers is structured into several levels.
Each level serves a different purpose and is timed according to how extinguishers age and how their components degrade.
Monthly Visual Inspection
The monthly inspection is a simple but essential check performed by a responsible person within the building.
It verifies that the extinguisher is present, clearly visible, unobstructed, and in good physical condition.
The individual performing the check ensures the pressure gauge is still in the operable range, that the safety pin is intact, and that there are no signs of leakage or corrosion.
This inspection is deliberately straightforward so it can be completed regularly without the need for technical expertise.
Its purpose is early detection of visible problems.
Annual Maintenance and Inspection
Once a year, extinguishers must be examined by a certified fire protection technician.
This process is far more detailed than the monthly inspection.
The extinguisher is checked internally and externally for mechanical damage, chemical deterioration, clogged nozzles, weakened hoses, and incorrect pressure levels.
The technician verifies that the extinguisher is appropriate for the hazards present in the environment, that it meets current standards, and that all labeling remains clear and legible.
An annual inspection ensures the extinguisher meets operational and regulatory expectations.
Six Year Maintenance and Inspection
Certain extinguishers, particularly stored-pressure dry chemical models, require internal maintenance every six years.
During this procedure, the extinguisher is fully discharged, opened, and inspected from the inside.
Any degraded components are replaced, the interior is cleaned, and fresh extinguishing agent is added.
After reassembly, the extinguisher is pressure tested and tagged as having undergone six-year maintenance.
This level of servicing addresses aging components that cannot be evaluated through external inspection alone.
Twelve Year Maintenance and Inspection
Many types of extinguishers require hydrostatic testing at twelve years.
Hydrostatic testing ensures the cylinder can safely withstand the pressures required during operation.
The extinguisher is emptied and filled with water under controlled pressure while a technician monitors for deformation, leaks, or structural weakness.
If it passes the test, it can be safely returned to service; if it fails, it must be removed permanently.
Hydrostatic testing is essential for preventing catastrophic cylinder failure.
Reactive Maintenance and Inspection
Any extinguisher that has been used, dropped, damaged, exposed to corrosive conditions, or found to be leaking must be serviced immediately, regardless of the scheduled interval.
This unscheduled maintenance ensures extinguishers remain reliable after incidents or unexpected deterioration.
What Happens During a Fire Extinguisher Inspection
A professional fire extinguisher inspection involves several methodical steps designed to evaluate the condition and performance of the extinguisher.
Visual Inspection
The technician examines the entire extinguisher body, including the handle, hose, nozzle, carrying bracket, pressure gauge, and labeling.
The goal is to identify signs of physical damage, vandalism, rust, or tampering.
Placement, accessibility, and suitability for the environment are also assessed.
Hydrostatic Testing
Hydrostatic testing ensures that the cylinder walls are strong enough to contain the internal pressure during discharge.
It involves filling the cylinder with water under pressure and observing any structural changes.
This test protects users from rare but dangerous cylinder ruptures.
NFPA 10 Compliance
NFPA 10 defines where extinguishers must be mounted, how high they can be positioned, how often they require inspection, and which extinguisher types are permitted for specific hazards.
During an inspection, technicians verify that each extinguisher matches the hazard classification of the area, meets mounting and visibility requirements, and carries all required labeling and tags.
Inspection Report
Once all checks and tests are complete, the technician prepares an inspection report that becomes part of the fire safety record.
This document outlines findings, maintenance performed, test results, and recommendations.
In many jurisdictions, these reports must be kept on file for audits, insurance verification, and code compliance.
What Records Are Taken During Fire Extinguisher Inspections
Fire extinguisher records must be kept accurately and include the technician’s name, the inspection date, detailed notes about the extinguisher’s condition, any corrective actions taken, and the date when the next inspection is due.
These records help track the history of each extinguisher, verify compliance during legal or insurance reviews, and identify patterns that may indicate environmental damage or misuse.
Proper record-keeping protects the building owner legally and helps ensure consistent fire safety management.
Types of Fire Extinguishers Requiring Inspection
Every type of extinguisher must be inspected, yet most have different maintenance requirements:
Water Fire Extinguishers (Class A)
Water extinguishers rely on simple, reliable mechanics but still require pressure checks, inspections for internal corrosion, and periodic hydrostatic testing.
Foam Fire Extinguishers (Class A and B)
Foam extinguishers contain agents that can degrade over time.
They require both internal and external checks to ensure their chemical mixture remains effective.
Powder Fire Extinguishers (Class ABC)
Powder extinguishers are versatile and widely used but require internal maintenance every six years to prevent compacted powder, moisture intrusion, or internal corrosion.
CO2 Fire Extinguishers (Class B and C)
CO2 extinguishers operate at high pressure, so their cylinders must undergo rigorous hydrostatic testing.
Weight checks are essential because CO2 extinguishers have no pressure gauge.
Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers
These are typically used in commercial kitchens for cooking oil fires.
Because their agents must remain chemically stable, annual inspections and prompt servicing after use are mandatory.
Final Thoughts
Fire extinguishers are among the most important safety tools in any building, yet they are often overlooked until needed.
Regular inspections ensure these devices function correctly, comply with safety standards, and remain ready to save lives.
By understanding how often inspections should occur, what happens during them, and why they matter, building owners and occupants can create safer environments and meet their legal and ethical responsibilities.
Arco has opened a specialist centre in Aberdeen to support oil, gas and renewables sector companies working across onshore and offshore operations.
The£500,000 site is intended to help companies minimise risk and maximise productivity across demanding working environments.
The 13,700 sq ft centre is based near Aberdeen airport.
It offers safety training, face fit testing, respiratory servicing and product decoration services.
The centre also provides offshore kit drops, with orders placed before 3pm delivered the same day.
Each week, up to 100 kit bags are dispatched from the Aberdeen centre to the North Sea and beyond.
Energy and export focus
The launch follows Arco’s November announcement of a 37 per cent rise in pre-exception EBITDA to £11.4 million over the past year.
Alex Richards, Arco’s Energy and Export Director, said: “We’ve been keeping customers in Aberdeen safe for nearly 40 years, and this new centre signifies more than just a move to a new site.
“Our £500,000 centre enables access to Arco’s more than 140 years’ safety experience through best-in-class training, respiratory servicing, face fit testing, and same-day offshore kit drops.
“We supply highly certified PPE selected specifically to combat hazards faced offshore, onshore and across complex industrial environments.
“Our people are energy sector specialists, with deep understanding of industry regulations, working conditions and operational challenges.
“That knowledge allows us to provide informed guidance, the right solutions first time, and a level of service customers can rely on.
“By keeping people at the centre, and offering products dedicated to the energy industry, we’ve built long-standing partnerships that help protect workers, reduce risk and maximise productivity across Aberdeen’s energy community.”
The company said it is supporting workers across the globe from the Aberdeen centre, including Africa and the Middle East.
The study describes a flexible, stretchable sensor designed to work when attached to human skin and exposed to high humidity.
The platform combines a colourimetric readout with quantitative chemiresistive detection in a polymer nanofiber structure described as highly gas-permeable.
The study reports ppm-level sensitivity and stable performance under humidity and mechanical deformation.
How the dual-mode platform is intended to function
The study describes ammonia as widely used in fertilizers, refrigerants, biomarkers and next-generation fuel.
It states that ammonia is highly toxic and can cause respiratory irritation, chest pain, pulmonary edema and death.
The researchers describe a dual-mode approach that integrates chemiresistive sensing and colourimetric sensing in one device.
Professor Hyun Il Kang said: “Our device provides flexibility and facilitates efficient transport of NH3 between the bromocresol-green-based colorimetric and poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)-based chemiresistive sensing layers.
The study states that each individual sensing layer performs on par with the dual-mode platform, with the device intended to remain accurate if one sensing mode fails.
It also describes operation while attached to human skin and in humid conditions.
Applications described in the study
The study lists potential uses including personal safety monitoring for workers in ammonia-handling facilities and industrial refrigeration and cold-chain environments.
It also lists agriculture and livestock operations where ammonia buildup occurs and noninvasive health screening via breath-NH3.
The study also cites vehicle energy systems using NH3 as another potential application.
The researchers describe the work as a basis for further development of the platform across biomedical, environmental monitoring and industrial use cases described in the paper.
Multitone quality assurance expertise in critical communications
Multitone has published an interview with Sarah Cannon, Group Quality Assurance lead at Multitone Electronics, outlining how ISO compliance, governance and risk management are applied across its critical communications operations.
The discussion focuses on oversight of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22301 and ISO 27001 and how these frameworks are embedded across international teams to support reliability, information security and business continuity.
Cannon linked standards compliance directly to trust in high-risk settings where systems must operate without failure.
Cannon said: “Compliance with ISO standards such as quality management and information security isn’t just about certification – it’s about trust.
“Our customers rely on Multitone for solutions that must work first time, every time, often in high-risk environments.
“By embedding these standards into our daily operations, we reduce risk, improve reliability, and ensure consistency across everything we deliver.
“For customers, this means confidence that their data is protected, their systems are robust, and their supply partner takes governance and accountability seriously.
“That trust is the significant competitive advantage in critical communications that Multitone has always offered and always will.”
The interview frames ISO alignment as an operational discipline integrated into routine decision-making rather than treated solely as an audit requirement.
Multitone approach to consistent quality across international teams
The interview addresses the challenge of maintaining consistent quality assurance practices across the UK, Malaysia and Germany without imposing rigid uniformity.
Cannon described the focus as clear communication, practical guidance and engagement with local teams so processes are understood and used rather than simply recorded.
Cannon said: “It is making sure we’re consistent without being rigid.
“Different locations naturally have different ways of working, so it’s important not to take a one-size-fits-all approach.
“I’ve focused on clear communication, practical guidance, and working closely with local teams so they understand the “why” behind the processes.
“Through regular check-ins, internal audits and open discussions, I ensure teams understand, support, and always use our quality systems, rather than simply documenting them.”
She also outlined how legislative compliance is positioned as a shared responsibility linked to safety, customer satisfaction and protecting the business.
Multitone links compliance discipline with structured decision-making
The interview draws parallels between compliance work and Cannon’s role as a magistrate in the family court, identifying shared skills such as evidence assessment, impartiality and consistent application of standards.
Cannon said: “Surprisingly, yes. There’s a lot of overlap.
“I think compliance and the magistracy share a similar ‘DNA.’
“Both roles draw their strength from fairness and integrity, requiring me to apply rules and frameworks consistently while remaining mindful of context and impact.
“In each case, there is a responsibility to make balanced, well-reasoned decisions that stand up to scrutiny.
“Many of the skills I rely on in compliance translate directly into the magistracy.
“These include strong attention to detail, the ability to assess evidence objectively, and confidence in interpreting and applying standards or legislation.
“Equally important are good judgement, clear communication, and the willingness to ask the right questions to fully understand a situation before reaching a conclusion.
“Perhaps most importantly, both roles require empathy alongside professionalism.
“Whether working in compliance or sitting as a magistrate, you are often dealing with complex situations that affect people in very real ways.
“Being able to remain impartial while understanding the human impact of decisions is a shared and essential skill in both.
“Ultimately, both roles are about responsibility, judgement, and doing the right thing, even when decisions aren’t easy.”
The interview positions Multitone’s compliance strategy within the context of delivering critical communications systems used by fire and rescue services and other emergency response organisations.
Ci Global has established a local presence in the United Arab Emirates in February 2026 to support deployment of its Ci Safe electrical fire prevention technology across the country.
The move follows recent regulatory approvals and allows the company to work directly with regional partners, authorities, developers and building operators to address electrical fire risk at source.
Ci Safe is described as an intelligent fire and building-safety system designed to prevent electrical fires before ignition by monitoring electrical behaviour at points of use such as sockets, plugs and connection points.
Power is automatically removed when abnormal conditions are detected, including unsafe heat build-up or electrical fault patterns.
Safety data is recorded over time to support visibility, pattern recognition and insight across buildings and portfolios.
How Ci Safe is described to operate and integrate
Ci Global outlined that Ci Safe operates as an AI-driven ecosystem combining intelligent devices and sensors with autonomous, on-site decision-making capable of acting at source even offline.
The system is designed to support wider building-safety risks including gas leaks, water leaks and conditions associated with mould.
It operates autonomously while integrating with existing detection, alarm and suppression systems.
A command-and-control layer is included to provide building managers and emergency crews with real-time visibility of safety conditions across buildings, including a live 3D digital twin and drone-assisted visualisation.
Local autonomous protection continues independently without reliance on connectivity or human intervention.
Founder background and recent recognition cited by the company
Ci Global stated that it was founded by British inventor Anthony D. Parfitt, who has experience developing Home Office-approved, safety-critical technology for the UK Government and Network Rail.
His previous work includes the original Automatic Number Plate Recognition system developed for the DVLA and deployed across UK police forces.
Parfitt said: “Establishing a presence in the UAE is an important step for Ci Global. It allows us to support deployment locally and work closely with partners who share a commitment to prevention-first safety.
“Electrical fires have long been treated as inevitable.
“Our focus is on changing that assumption by intervening before a fire can begin.”
The company added that Ci Safe received the Best Passive Fire Safety Product award at Intersec Dubai.
It also confirmed that the UAE presence will support regional collaboration, pilot projects and integration with wider building-safety and emergency-response frameworks.
Building information modelling requirements and product data
Consort Architectural Hardware Director Daniel May has published commentary on the growing demand for Building Information Modelling (BIM) and its influence on design, specification and compliance processes.
Digital product data is now expected from early-stage design through to compliance, maintenance and product lifecycle management.
Since 2016, UK central government clients have required collaborative digital information management on centrally procured projects, commonly referred to as BIM Level 2.
These requirements are now set out through the UK BIM Framework and BS EN ISO 19650 standards, which expect construction partners to provide accurate, structured and accessible digital information for their products.
How digital workflows are changing specification
Architectural hardware, historically underrepresented in digital planning, is increasingly supported by 3D models, certification and performance data across expanding product libraries.
Project teams are moving away from paper-based resources such as brochures, PDF catalogues and basic CAD line drawings toward integrated digital workflows using platforms including Revit and NBS.
Forthcoming Digital Product Passports (DPP), expected to be mandated by the EU, are likely to further embed this approach.
BIM product data is now being used to support UK Government mandates for digital construction and the ‘Golden Thread of Information’, fire safety regulations that require verifiable product information and sustainability reporting that relies on accessible Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and lifecycle data.
Products that cannot be represented accurately in a digital model risk being excluded from project specifications.
Fire doorsets, traceable data and access to files
May’s commentary highlights that door hardware, while a small proportion of overall project value, has an outsized role in safety, performance, accessibility and compliance.
For fire doorsets, the effectiveness of the assembly depends on the performance of individual hardware components.
Within BIM, parametric data attached to items such as door closers can be used to validate fire ratings, confirm accessibility and identify coordination issues with ceilings, frames or other adjacent elements.
The commentary links post-Grenfell regulatory and cultural expectations to a stronger demand for traceable, verified product information, and references Martyn’s Law as an example of emerging legislation likely to shape how public spaces are designed and secured.
