Fire Door Safety Week 2022 has officially begun. Launched in 2013 in response to fire door neglect, Fire Door Safety Week is a ‘mass market’ awareness campaign to increase public understanding of the vital role that fire doors play in protecting life and property.
The campaign is managed by the British Woodworking Federation and is supported by a number of partners, including the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign, the National Fire Chief’s Council and London Fire Brigade.
The main objectives of the campaign include raising awareness of the critical role of fire doors, drawing attention to specific issues such as poor installation and maintenance, and encouraging building owners and users to check the operation and condition of their fire doors and to report those that aren’t satisfactory.
It also aims to link together the initiatives of many organisations with common interests in the fire door and passive fire protection industries and engage and educate people, helping the whole building industry and every property owner to understand the correct specification, supply, installation, operation, inspection and maintenance.
Education
To make the start of Fire Door Safety Week, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland is urging those involved with the specification, installation, and maintenance of fire doors to educate themselves by reviewing its comprehensive Fire Door Guide.
Brian Sofley, Managing Director at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, explains: “We understand the pressure the industry feels to deliver services faster than ever, at the lowest price point possible. However, this could potentially lead to specification errors with fire safety products, causing ongoing installation and maintenance issues.
“As fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building, the impact that this can have can be devasting, and in some instances mean the loss of life.
“That’s why we are looking to impart our extensive knowledge on this subject this Fire Door Safety Week, and ultimately help to make buildings safer now and in the future – aligning with the objectives of the Building Safety Act 2022, which we wholeheartedly support.”
Sofley adds: “Our Fire Door Guide has been created to offer guidance on specifying, installing, maintaining and inspecting fire certified doorsets in residential and commercial buildings, and we hope that it can help raise industry standards and provide greater awareness.
“We pride ourselves on our end-to-end approach and being a helping hand at every stage of the journey. From fire door specification using BIM software Openings Studio™, right through to installation and ongoing maintenance and inspections, our team is here to assist in every capacity.”
This acquisition will add new products complementing Sentry Doors’ product range, focused on the specialist fire doorset requirements of the social housing, public sector, commercial and residential markets.
Established in 1923, E. & S. W. Knowles manufactures specialist timber internal doorsets with fire rated, acoustic and PAS 24 security certification. Knowles employs approximately 100 people and in 2021, achieved revenue of £10m.
Both companies are set to benefit from the possibilities offered by their new market sectors and an expanded range of products and finishes. The enlarged business continues to be headquartered in Doncaster.
Ty Aziz, Sentry’s Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to welcome Knowles to Sentry Doors – they have a fantastic manufacturing heritage, an exceptional team and a superb product range so we can learn a lot from one another.
“This partnership will help us to respond to the surge in demand for our products, as well as providing our customers with a fully comprehensive range of fire safety and security solutions, and a greater choice of features and finishes. It marks a key milestone in the growth strategy for our businesses and advances our collective ambition to be UK leaders in this sector.”
Martin Wright, majority owner of Knowles, added: “Next year Knowles celebrates its centenary and while I am extremely proud of all that we have achieved in the last 99 years, I know that the company has the capability to achieve much more in the future.
“I believe that this is the natural point for me to pass the company to new, trusted custodians who can deliver on its future potential. Knowles has a perfect partner in Sentry and together, the companies should achieve great things.”
Rhino Doors, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance engineered doors for the protection of people and assets, has successfully completed testing on its premium fire-rated door sets.
Rhino’s FD120HL door, which is mainly used in internal applications in commercial and industrial buildings, was tested for fire integrity from both sides for 60 minutes, in accordance with EN1634-1.
The most recent fire test took place on the single leaf variant of the door, after its double leaf counterpart was tested in 2021 and achieved a 2-hour rating. This success has now continued, with the single leaf variant of the stainless-steel door achieving the same 2-hour rating.
“The completion of our fire integrity testing on the FD120HL door is a great triumph for the Rhino team, whose skill and expertise in design have been paramount to this success,” said Dr Chris Norris, Group Engineering Director of Rhino Engineering Group.
“We pride ourselves on producing doors that can withstand complex environmental pressures, and we now have an established and verified door design, in single and double leaf configurations, for which we will continue to find applications in commercial settings.”
Fire safety door supplier Sentry Doors has announced that it now offers UKCA accreditation on its entire range of FD30S flush and glazed doorsets following a bi-directional burn test of its double-glazed range, including its double glazed doorsets complete with double glazed and panel sidelight.
The United Kingdom Conformity Assessment mark (UKCA) replaces the CE mark used in the European Union, for mainland UK and serves as a declaration of performance to the essential characteristics in accordance with the harmonised standards. The UKCA marking came into effect in January 2021 with businesses granted an extension until the 1 of January 2023 to transition to the UKCA marking from CE marking.
The UKAS accredited lab tested doorsets comprising of the door leaf and a glazed panel sidelight, alongside a door leaf with a range of Sentry’s glazing combinations, to ensure all variations were compliant. Each test exceeded the minimum 30-minute time requirement for an FD30S doorsets, demonstrating the overall integrity of the doorset and the superiority of the product. This accreditation offers customers complete confidence in these products.
Ty Aziz, Managing Director, Sentry Doors said: ‘We are pleased to announce the success of our recent fire test for bi-directional FD30S UKCA Double Glazed doorset complete with double glazed and panel sidelight. We reacted quickly to the changes in the market last year and are happy to share that we were the fire UK fire door manufacturer to obtain the UKCA marking with approved body BM TRADA.
“We now offer our entire range of FD30S flat entrance door styles in a range of combinations to suit our customers and their project requirements. As Sentry grow, we are constantly making efforts to remain a market leader and be at the forefront of compliance’.
Independent Fire Training Ltd.’s range of fire training courses have been tailored to varying levels of experience and training outcomes, Ben Freeman talks to IFSJ
Fire safety has never been more of a focus than it is currently within facilities, construction, and maintenance. It is at the forefront of media following the unnecessary loss of life at the Grenfell Tower and further-more in relation to the subsequent ongoing enquiry.
Independent Fire Training Ltd (IFI) are passionate about developing knowledge and competency to ensure that the buildings of the future are safer than the past.
Fire doorsets, their importance and compliance has been a focus point for discussion and opinion in the Fire Safety Industry recently. Brought to the attention of the world following the tragedies at Grenfell and the failures in compartmentation, the importance of fire doors in life safety has never been more relevant.
The purpose of fire doorsets is to restrict the spread of fire and smoke by maintaining the fire separation of compartmentation, to protect escape routes and to restrict the initial development of fire. Fire resisting doorsets are generally required along escape routes, staircases, at the principal entrance to flats and in locations where fires are expected to occur. A fire doorset and its importance is often overlooked, and that is why it is paramount that fire door training isn’t just limited to those people within the industry who are looking to develop their wealth of knowledge and is made more accessible to the wider audience.
It is important to recognise that not all candidates require the same level of training. Many will not require to become a Fire Door Inspector but do need to understand the properties of a fire doorset and the tell-tale signs of a poor installation or maintenance. Those candidates who are manufacturing, installing, maintaining, repairing, and inspecting fire doorsets should be held to a higher standard of training.
IFI pride themselves on providing a range of courses suitable for varying levels of experience and training outcomes, assisting the varying levels of candidate looking to continue their professional development and support competency within the industry.
The company’s fire doorset training portfolio includes a variety of training formats such as classroom-based, e-Learning and virtual training to suit any training preference and availability. The classroom-based courses include the Level 3 Award in the Inspection and Testing of Fire Resisting Door Installations (a formal inspection qualification), Timber Fire Doorsets and Fire Door Maintenance & Repair Modules with options for additional practical on-site training, and the BWF Fire Door Installation and Awareness Course. Recently launched, The Fire Doorset Inspection Course is an e-Learning training option.
Training courses dates are pre-booked for throughout 2022 and any candidate can join these courses by contacting the Training team to reserve their place. IFI also conducts training for clients at a site of their choosing for groups of candidates where this is more suitable.
The Level 3 Award in the Inspection and Testing of Fire Resisting Door Installation offers a formal qualification in the inspection of fire doorsets. This is a ProQual qualification regulated by Ofqual, the governments office for examination and qualifications. The qualification is best suited to site managers, supervisors, inspectors and to anyone else who works directly with fire doors. However, one of the major benefits of this qualification is that a 3-day theory and practical course is ran prior to their respective assessments which details all the information and knowledge required for the assessment. For those candidates lacking prior experience and learning with inspecting fire resisting doorsets, the Fire Doorset Inspection e-Learning Course will provide a comprehensive foundation of knowledge to enable them to progress to the qualification in the future.
Launched in March 2022, The Fire Doorset Inspection e-Learning Course is the newest addition to IFI.’s course portfolio. This course was developed in response to the ever-increasing demand for comprehensive fire doorset training. This would include key topics such as inspection, installation, maintenance, specification and testing but in a more accessible format. This course also consolidates the importance of a fire doorset and its upkeep with in-depth information on the Building Regulations and associated legislation that is specific to fire doors. A major benefit of this course is that once purchased, the candidate will have access to the training material via the Independent Fire Training website for 3 years, allowing them to refer to the course material as required. This e-Learning course is accredited by the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM), meaning a well-respected and recognised body within the Fire Safety Industry has reviewed the course content and are happy that it is up to a standard that they approve of.
It is important to mention that IFI’s trainers and assessors are Senior Fire Door and Fire Stopping Inspectors by trade, meaning that the training is being delivered by an expert within the industry and allows delegates to ask specific questions and promotes a wealth of active discussion throughout the training.
IFI is a registered delivery centre of the National Open College Network (NOCN) an Ofqual regulated Awarding Organisation and licensed by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF). As an approved NOCN training provider IFI are approved to deliver the SiteRight assured BWF Fire Door Installation Awareness 2-day course. The course has been developed in collaboration between NOCN Group and the British Woodworking Federation to promote awareness in the construction and manufacturing industries of the factors involved in the appropriate installation of timber fire doors and doors sets. IFI hold this course publicly at a central location throughout the year and it can also be delivered at a customer’s premises for a minimum number of participants.
IFI take fire doorset training very seriously and aim to make their training accessible to everyone. By providing top quality, recognised and accredited training IFI ensure that they uphold the integrity that should be seen across the industry. All training courses are continually reviewed and amended in line with current best practice, Building Regulations, and associated Legislation.
IFI’s overall course portfolio covers all aspects of passive fire protection, such as fire stopping, cavity barriers, linear gap seals, structural steel protection, fire rated partitions and ceilings, fire dampers and fire rated ductwork and many other courses at varying levels of expertise.
IFI are committed to maintaining the integrity of the industry and the high standards outlined Regulation and Legislation. IFI makes a promise to stay current within this developing industry so that everyone taking part in our training receives informative relevant learning and excellent service.
Ben Freeman, MD, IFI Group Ltd and Founder of IFI says; “As a leading training provider, our focus is on increasing the knowledge and competency of all those who are involved in the delivery and management of fire safety within buildings. We ensure that our training is fit for purpose regardless of what level of experience the training is aimed at and deliver training that covers varying levels of expertise. We work in an industry where you can certainly be under qualified, but never overqualified.”
For further information around the courses available, please contact info@thefiretraining.co.uk or visit our website for further details.
UK Doorsets Ltd are one of the first Secured by Design (SBD) member company to attain certification for security, fire & smoke control on their doorsets.
Secured by Design (SBD), the national police crime prevention initiative, has been a staunch campaigner for improved security in buildings for over 30 years. As a consequence of the tragic events of the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, SBD announced that as part of its membership it was requiring doors that are either described as fire doors, or where fire performance is declared or implied, to have third-party certification for both security and fire performance.
SBD have subsequently revisited the possible life-threatening characteristics of fire rated doorsets, as asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation is the most common cause of deaths in flats when a fire occurs. Therefore, with effect from 1st June 2022, SBD will require all member companies with doorsets listed on their SBD schedule that are fire rated and that are required by UK Building Regulations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) to have smoke control properties for the intended installation – e.g. flat entrance doorsets to be certificated for the following attributes – Security, Fire and Smoke Control. SBD are adamant that any doorset that carries SBD accreditation should be fit for purpose in all declared characteristics, but especially those that are life critical such as fire, security and smoke control.
Ruari Robertson, Secured by Design, said: “I am delighted that UK Doorsets Ltd are one of the first of our valued member companies to attain this certification and is a testament to the strong working relationship that exists between SBD and all its member companies, who will undoubtedly follow suit in achieving these attributes.”
Simon Chapman, UK Doorsets commented: “We are proud to be one of the first businesses to achieve this enhanced triple certification for our SBD doorsets. As a business we have always tried to be at the forefront of safety compliance, ensuring all our doors and doorsets achieve the best performance for their designated environments.
“We understand fully the danger and importance of smoke control in the event of a fire, so had already undergone third-party testing to guarantee our doors would perform if this occurred. This certification endorses that and will hopefully raise the bar with other manufacturers in the industry when producing these potentially lifesaving products.”
Contactless Check Solutions (CCS) has developed an industry-first solution to “transform” the fire safety sector in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
According to the company, its “simple” solution to make fire safety inspections faster and more accurate will reportedly ensure fire door compliance in line with UK regulations.
The method involves using a pin containing a unique identifier that is then installed into a fire door at manufacture or retrofitted.
The company’s fire inspection app can then be installed on a smartphone or tablet and is used to scan the pin and give the inspector access to the door’s manufacturing and maintenance history in real time.
The app will then prompt the inspector to complete a checklist with compulsory photos which automatically update the record stored on the cloud.
Building owners and managers will have quick and easy access to see a complete overview of all their fire door stock, site by site, floor by floor, using a simple traffic light system, and the history of each and every door, the Maryport firm said.
Andy Tyas, managing director, said: “The fire safety industry is under intense scrutiny after Grenfell. The government is looking closely at how and when fire doors are inspected, maintained and managed.
“The development of this project will benefit the people responsible for the building as well as the regulatory authority to ensure correct inspections are being carried out in accordance with building regs.”
CCS is being supported by the Made Smarter North West adoption pilot, which helps SME manufacturers to adopt digital technologies.
Mr Tyas added: “Made Smarter funding and advice has accelerated development of the technology by two years and dramatically increased our chances of being first to market with a technology that could transform the fire safety sector.”
CCS said the innovation will make it easier for owners and managers to ensure compliance with UK regulations by establishing a consistent system for fire door inspection programmes, regardless of the type of building.
With nothing similar currently on the market, CCS said it is targeting manufacturers of the six million new fire doors produced every year in the UK, as well as the managers of the hundreds of millions of fire doors currently installed.
CCS directors Sean Parnaby, David Reay and Andrew Tyas have been manufacturing fire doors for almost 20 years.
According to CCS, it isn’t just focussed on the UK market and has already had discussions with building managers in Europe and the Middle East.
The company are also discussion with door manufacturers, inspectors and local authorities regarding applying the solution to refuse chutes in high rise buildings and sprinkler systems.
Fireco, a technology company based in Brighton, England, has been working for over twenty years to help with the issue of fire doors being wedged open. Fire doors should be kept shut to control the spread of smoke and fire in buildings, and a common, serious problem is people wedging these doors open to allow for fresh air and easy access.
Fireco’s door retainers and door closers hold fire doors open compliantly. When the fire alarm sounds, the products will release the door to close through either acoustic or radio activation. They are wire-free and can be easily installed.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fireco’s customer base reached out and expressed how the company are helping to resolve more issues than just illegally wedged open doors.
Fireco products are fitted to doors across multiple industries including NHS premises, COVID-19 test labs, critical infrastructure, schools, commercial offices and factories.
These buildings’ occupants are so pleased, because people are able to walk freely around them without having to touch door handles, which has helped reduce the spread of germs, providing protection to all occupants, many of whom are key workers on the front line in the fight against COVID-19.
