Opening the doorset discussion with SBD

by Breaking NewsFire DoorsProducts

In the aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, authorities in the UK decided to investigate several different facets of fire, life, and safety in buildings. Several companies were invited to give their technical expertise on the subject – these included experts in cladding, doorsets, panels, and fire evacuation routes to name a few. Secured by Design, a British based official police security initiative, that works to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings was also involved.  

Alfie Hosker is the technical manager at Secured by Design (SBD) and writes about technical recommendations, and new guidelines that have come about following the efforts of the Grenfell Technical Group.  
 
Hosker joined SBD in 2014 after serving for more than 20 years in the UK Police Service across many disciplines including CID, Stolen Vehicle Squad, Public Order, Neighbourhood Policing, Licensing and Crime Prevention. He also spent several years within the various Planning, Highways and Building Control Departments advising on Designing Out Crime, Counter Terrorism, enforcement, planning policy & applications. He studied at the Leeds University and later at Oxford Brookes University in the field of Crime Prevention. He is also a qualified teacher.  

In his own words, Hosker recounts the work of the Grenfell Technical Group since 2018. 

Enhanced security & fire performance of doorsets 

Alfie Hosker

Post Grenfell, the government quite rightly called for further investigations and Secured by Design (SBD) took an active part as a member of the Grenfell Technical Group, which was set up in March 2018 to provide technical advice specifically on entrance doorsets to individual flats – which includes the door, associated frame and all component parts, such as the glazing and door hardware. 
 
The Group, which included other not-for-profit organisations including the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF), met frequently throughout the rest of that year. Our comprehensive technical findings were duly reported to government via the Grenfell Independent Expert Panel. 
 
Building on the collective expertise and experience within SBD, FIA and DHF the three organisations took the unprecedented step of collaborating on a document entitled ‘Guide For Selecting Flat Entrance Doorsets’ which was published in March 2019. 

Aimed at housing associations, landlords, building owners, developers and local authorities in England (but much of the advice is equally applicable to other countries of the UK, even though Building Regulations may differ slightly), the publication brings together the best collaborative advice available from the industry in one straightforward document to highlight the fundamental issues of fire safety and security for those selecting such doorsets. 

Importantly, the publication makes the point that there is no conflict between fire and security with Building Regulations Approved Document B (fire) and Approved Document Q (security) carrying equal weight with neither taking precedence over the other.  

The publication also covers 

  • Why only factory produced doorsets can meet both Approved Document B and Q 
  • What to look for in terms of performance for fire 
  • What to look for with third-party certification for fire 
  • What to look for regarding security
  • Other performance affecting flat entrance doorsets 
  • Glazing considerations 
  • Assessments – what to be aware of 
  • Installation 
  • Maintenance 
  • Multi-occupancy buildings 
  • Government advice to Building Control 

Certification to include smoke control 
Currently doorset thresholds can legitimately be tested to BS 476-31.1 or BS EN 1634-3 with the threshold taped up, and be assigned an ‘S’ designation (according to the guidance within Approved Document B) or an ‘Sa’ classification (when classified according to EN 13501-2), as the threshold gap is effectively discounted in both instances. It is also possible to maintain designated smoke performances (i.e. S or Sa) when following the guidance given in BS 8214, which allows for a 3mm gap at the threshold in situations where fitting a threshold seal is not practicable.  
 
It is the opinion of SBD that neither are acceptable in a ‘real world’ fire scenario. The former (taping up the threshold) proves nothing when the doorset is exposed to smoke in an apartment block and could therefore lead to smoke unnecessarily entering an area designed to be a safe haven. The latter (the 3 mm gap allowance) has been independently proven to allow smoke leakage of up to 10.5m3/h/m – three times the allowance of 3m3/h/m in the current Building Regulations. You can find out more about a series of tests commissioned by the Intumescent Fire Seals Association (IFSA) into this here: https://www.ifsa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IFSA-Fact-Sheet-02-v0321.pdf  

As soon as we realised that smoke was at risk of not being treated in the same way as fire and security evidence, it was critical we sought to resolve this issue specifically for all Secured by Design Developments and by all doorset manufacturers recognised by us through our SBD Membership scheme. In early 2021 we secured agreement from all of the UK certification bodies working in this area to incorporate smoke control into their fire and security schemes for flat / apartment entrance doorsets. 
 
With the safety and security of residents in mind, we have confirmed our requirements for all fire, security and smoke rated doorsets carrying SBD approval to the UK test and certification organisations – i.e. all smoke control tests – should be conducted with the doorset threshold un-taped, and furthermore the allowance of a 3mm gap under the door will also be unacceptable. Therefore, by summer 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. Thus, all SBD Fire, security and Smoke rated doorsets will require a thresh detail that enables the doorset to comply with the Building Regulation maximum requirement for smoke leakage of 3m3/h/m. 

Firefighter in a fire and rescue operation.

SBD has committed to both promoting our requirements and to support other organisations lobbying for change in this important area. We 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. We are committed to saving lives and making homes safer places in which to live, work and play. 

The ‘Guide For Selecting Flat Entrance Doorsets’ is currently being updated to include these new SBD requirements. You can have confidence in using this publication as an authoritative source of information, which will guide you through the complexities of an extremely important area of Building Regulations. The publication can be downloaded for free here:  

https://www.securedbydesign.com/images/downloads/DOORSET_BROCHURE_update_25.3.19.pdf

Johnson Controls acquires UK’s Xcell Misting

by Featured NewsFirefighting EquipmentProducts

Johnson Controls has acquired Xcell Misting Ltd, an expert fire protection company that designs and installs fire suppression and detection systems. Xcell Misting Ltd specializes in water mist technologies.

The acquisition will benefit Johnson Controls’ customers from Xcell’s expertise within fire protection and security, with access to the latest fire suppression technologies. Xcell Misting operates in a multitude of different sectors that include food, technology, data centers, high-hazard and gas turbines, car plants, residential, and waste management.

Xcell is headquartered in Norfolk, UK and employs fire professionals, engineers, installers and managers to design and deploy fire protection systems across the UK, along with providing support 24/7.

Sarah Dixon, general manager fire suppression UK and Ireland, Johnson Controls said: “Xcell Misting’s specialist watermist capabilities will allow us to maximise on our watermist opportunities, and in turn expand our current suppression offering to our customers.

“With a well-deserved reputation for the strong levels of customer care and expertise, we look forward to working with Xcell Misting Ltd’s talented team and welcoming them to the Johnson Controls family.”

In addition, Xcell Misting’s owners Kevin Musk, Andy Cooke and Deborah Bingham said: “This is a fantastic moment for all, including our employees who will to be part of a larger group with its associated opportunities and our customers who will continue to benefit from the best quality products and the best service at the best price. Xcell Misting will continue to thrive within Johnson Controls and the envisaged growth will be one that we can all be proud of as we move forward together.”

Nittan celebrates 50th anniversary in the UK at Firex 2022

by EventsFeatured NewsUncategorized

Nittan Europe, a manufacturer of conventional and addressable fire detection products – will be celebrating its 50th anniversary at this year’s FIREX International which is being held at London’s ExCeL 17-19th May. Nittan will be exhibiting its foremost products from the Evolution range, along with previewing several new additions.

The Evolution range combines reliable fire detection with a high degree of protection against unwanted false alarms. Evolution’s extremely flexible protocol is resistant to interference and allows for substantial amounts of information to be transmitted at high speed.

Evolution products on display at FIREX will include Analogue Addressable and Conventional detectors (including patented, award winning Dual Optical technology), plus Audio Visual Devices, Bases, Manual Call Points, Isolators and Modules. The latest addition to the Evolution range, making its debut at FIREX, is the EV-PYSVAD Visual Alarm Base for use with Nittan’s EV-PYS Photoelectric smoke detector. The new EV-PYSVAD is a Type A Indoor Beacon Base VAD with enhanced performance. It features 12 high power white LEDs which provide the required light output to meet the EN 54-23 Category C (Ceiling) certification requirements with a rating of C 3.0 x 5.0.

Also on display will be Nittan’s interactive touch screen evolution1 single loop fire alarm panel with intuitive menu structure, and the evo+ multi-loop EN54 Fire Alarm panel for larger systems. Both panel ranges have been designed to be flexible and powerful by incorporating the latest dual flash-based microprocessor technology. With a host of features for maximum flexibility and ease of installation and system set up, both the evolution 1 and evo+ ranges are compatible with the full range of Nittan Evolution analogue addressable fire detection devices.

The Nittan Group has supplied the international fire protection industry since 1954 and was formally established in the UK in 1972. A series of events are being held this year to mark Nittan UK’s 50th birthday, Nittan will be present at FI2330 at FIREX.

Sentry Doors on course for strong FY 2022

by Breaking NewsFire DoorsProducts

Sentry Doors is growing fast, driven by an absolute commitment to compliance and quality, its Managing Director, Ty Aziz, tells IFSJ.

Tell us about the legacy of Sentry and process of innovation over the last 33 years of existence…
In the last couple of years however, the company has seen a step change in growth. First, we received considerable new investment from our partner, Cairngorm Capital. This enabled us to invest in our manufacturing facilities — new CNC machines, new paint lines, as well as the advancement of an additional facility across the road. We’ve also invested in testing, compliance, and accreditation — all the hallmarks our customers associate with Sentry Doors.

Most importantly though, we have invested in our people — bringing in new expertise to work alongside the existing management team and production staff to ensure that Sentry has the right resources to take it from strength to strength. This has resulted in new customers, typically housing associations, local authorities and their contractors who see the considerable benefits of our bespoke timber doorsets as they replace non-compliant fire doors. By choosing Sentry, customers always know they have the highest standards of certification in their fire doorset partner.

Reflecting that growth is the new look and feel of the Sentry logo which you might have seen out and about or online. We like to think of it as ‘same great company but with an updated look and feel’. We have a new website, new brochures to showcase our range of certified fire doorsets, as well as our certification portfolio to make it easy for customers to immediately focus on the testing or accreditation required — and you can even visit our factory virtually online. We’d rather people came in person though – the quality of our manufacturing really speaks for itself, plus we’re a friendly bunch.

Looking to the immediate future, Sentry has a stand at the upcoming Fire Safety Event in early April at the NEC. We’ll all be there, meeting customers old and new, and we’d love to tell everyone the Sentry story. It’s something we’re really proud of.

A great example of innovation was the ‘timber doors’ that were on display at Intersec 2022 which were high spec, and purpose-built fire doors. Tell us about the research and development of your products?

Sentry is a specialist provider of bespoke timber FD30s, FD60s doorsets, screens, and fanlights – that’s all we manufacture and consequently, we like to think we are experts! Every single doorset that leaves our factory is made specifically for a particular aperture — in order to ensure the highest safety standards and customer care, we manufacture each product specifically for an individual address, with a comprehensive choice of paint finish, glazing, security and ironmongery to complement it. Our Research & Development takes place at our facility in Doncaster, but it always has customers at its heart — we work closely with them to respond to their requirements. Budgets are whatever is required to keep us at the top of our industry.

Designed to offer peace of mind, our FD30s and FD60s doorsets undergo independent testing and approval from BM TRADA and Certifire standards. Both are certified by Secured by Design, and we are one of the few companies nationally to have achieved dual certification (Q-Mark Fire Door Manufacture and Q-Mark Enhanced Security) for both our FD30s and FD60s flat entrance doorsets. We were also the first fire and security door set manufacturer to hold the new UKCA mark, as certified by UK-approved body BM Trada. The standards, certification and compliance can be a complicated subject however, so we aim to provide ease via our certification portfolio, and we are always on hand to guide customers to ensure peace of mind.

Tell us about some of your major geographical markets, and expansion plans for 2022?
Sentry has a history of serving London boroughs and their contractors — we’ve been involved in manufacturing fire safety doorsets for many of the major replacement programmes in the capital’s housing stock both pre and post the dreadful events of Grenfell. We also work widely across the rest of the UK — we have ongoing projects in the north of England, Scotland and the across the South-East. Let me put it another way: if you’ve got a project that requires fire safety doors in the UK, you ought to be partnering with Sentry! 

What are some major trends in the fire door market, and what can we learn from them?
The trend is clearly towards ensuring only the highest standards of fire protection: that means timber because of its clear safety advantages over other materials, it means bespoke, because UK housing stock is diverse and not standardised like other markets.

Most importantly, it is about making sure that the choice you make is tested to the extreme and then certified to show that the specific doorset will protect people in the face of disaster. Those who specify and procure fire doors are absolutely committed to avoiding another disaster, and so is Sentry. That’s not so much a trend as the only right way, of course.

Sentry had previously predicted a 30% increase of “production operatives over the next 12 months”. How confident are you about your growth in 2022?

We’re growing really fast, and we are looking for more great people who share our ethos to join us: it could be more than 30% in 2022 and beyond. We are consistently recruiting in our factory, training, and developing people to achieve our manufacturing quality through open days, via our website and more. As more and more customers understand the benefits of the Sentry solution, we have invested in another CNC and a new paint line as well as expanding into our capacity across the road from our main factory. We also have opportunities in business development, customer service and more — so anyone who shares our values and wants to be part of the exciting Sentry story, do get in touch. 

In conclusion, I would like to tell your reader: Sentry is growing from strength to strength as the secure choice in fire safety doorsets. We look forward to meeting people from across our industry at the Fire Safety Event — we’ll have a prominent stand but do please contact us if you would like to book an appointment in advance. It will be great to tell you the Sentry story in person.

Kent Firefighters urge residents to install working fire alarms

by Featured News

The Kent Fire and Rescue Service, in South England embarked on its Fight Against Fire mission, to install and test as many smoke alarms as possible in one day, in homes across Kent and Medway.

Hundreds of uniformed firefighters with ID knocked on doors offering free home fire safety visit service, to help keep people safe.

Someone who fully supports the initiative, and owes his life and the lives of his family to working smoke alarms, is 40-year-old Dominic Plumb from Maidstone.

During a game of charades after dinner, with his wife, Nicki, his parents and his two teenage sons, Dominic heard the smoke alarm sounding.

“My first thought was ‘what is Nicki cooking now, we’re so full from dinner’ – thinking the oven had triggered the alarm” said Dominic.

“I went into the hallway to stop the beeping and it wouldn’t go off. Then the upstairs one started to sound as well so I went to take a look up there.

“I smelt smoke coming from one of my son’s bedrooms, opened the door and immediately felt extreme heat and then saw the bed was on fire and flames spreading across the room. I straight away realised how bad it was and closed to door to hold the fire back from the rest of the house.

“I got everyone outside, and then we heard a loud bang as the windows blew out.”

Dominic called 999 just before 7.30pm and six fire engines, a height vehicle and the volunteer response team swiftly arrived at the scene. Crews tackled the blaze, however there was considerable fire damage to the bedroom, landing and roof space, and smoke damage throughout the upper floor.

Dominic said: “The fire service came really quickly and they were amazing. They were very reassuring and supportive.

“Luckily no one was hurt though, and we really have the smoke alarms to thank for alerting us early on, before the flames could break through the bedroom door and spread around the house – without working smoke alarms we might not have realised until it was too late to escape safely.

“It’s really scary to think if the fire had started just a few hours later, my son would have been in that bed.”

The cause of the fire has been linked to an electrical fault with a charging docking station device placed on the bed, which was in use for the first time having been a stocking filler gift opened just that morning.

Since the blaze, the Plumb family has moved between six properties, while their home is restored.

Dominic said: “The thing we have learnt from this awful experience is that smoke alarms save lives. Also never leave anything charging on a bed, and avoid charging items overnight or when you’re not around – top tips from the firefighters that we will now be living by.”

Buildings in Cleveland are falling short of fire protection maintenance systems

by Americas - Breaking NewsBreaking NewsBuilding ManagementIndustry Sectors

An investigative news channel unit has found that half of Cleveland’s commercial buildings are not up to the fire code when it comes to maintaining critical fire protection. 19 Investigates says ‘Fire alarms, sprinklers and fire doors can save lives, But they’re no good if they are not maintained. They need to be inspected routinely to make sure they’re working properly.’

The Cleveland Fire Department officials told the news outlet the problem stems from business owners who aren’t getting these systems checked often enough. And fire inspectors are having a hard time keeping track of thousands of commercial properties across the city.

At a public safety meeting last week, officials estimated about half of commercial buildings in Cleveland do not properly maintain their fire protection systems as required by law. “We project we’re at about 50% compliance,” said Battalion Chief Gregory Lightcap.

Lightcap said the fire department does not have a database to track this. They want to hire an outside company to build one and notify businesses when maintenance is due.
Lightcap said many cities using services like this have gone to more than 90% compliance in a couple of years.

“So we would have a dashboard where we see these issues in red are where we need to direct our energy at in doing code enforcement, because the non-official stuff has not worked up until that point,” Lightcap told city council members at the safety committee meeting.

Alarmed by what we uncovered, we went to Mike Polensek, chair of the Public Safety Committee, for his take on this. “There’s a reason why we have a code, a basic fire, and protection code. It’s for protection,” Polsensek said.

“As a citizen walking into any building, is that a concern knowing they may not be up to date?” Investigator Sara Goldenberg asked.

“Of course it is, because there’s a code, a city code. And that’s been the problem, is it has not been enforced over the years. And now they’re telling us at the table that they don’t have the manpower, the sheer manpower to inspect all of these buildings,” Polensek said.

Polensek said unfortunately he is not surprised by these numbers. He wants to see the city and building owners step up to address the problem—quickly. “Why hasn’t there been enforcement, why hasn’t anyone been prosecuted?” he said. “And cited, and put in housing court if they refuse to make the repairs? None of us can understand why this has broken down as bad as it has.”

Fire officials said these changes would better educate business owners on fire code safety, instead of inspectors just issuing violation notices. City council is waiting to see the proposed legislation from the fire department.

Nullifire to showcase passive fire protection at FIREX International 2022

by EventsFeatured NewsPassive

Nullifire, will be demonstrating how its intumescent and firestopping solutions offers assurance in passive fire protection at FIREX International 2022.

The Nullifire team will be operating two product demonstration areas and explaining more about the traceability technologies Optifire and Optifire+. Some of the brand’s bestsellers will also be promoted, and visitors to the stand will be able to find out more about Nullifire’s new ‘It’s All About’ campaign.

Nullifire’s products are manufactured in the UK and have a trusted track record of performance and compliance, with the range tested extensively by third body associations and fully certified for a range of fire protection needs, IFSEC Global reported.

Nullifire’s Sales Director, Gary Pullinger,said: “We are really looking forward to FIREX International. It is going to be a great opportunity to see existing and potentially new clients face to face.

“Visitors to our stand will be assured of a warm welcome and the chance to catch-up. During COVID we’ve made a significant multimillion pound investment in our company, in areas including new technologies and innovations, staff, facilities and our service too. As a result, we’ll have lots to talk about at the event.

“One of the areas we’ve focused investment on is innovation. We’ll be showing that in action with two product demonstrations areas, one for our intumescent coatings and the other for our fire stopping range.

“We’ll also be talking about our pioneering traceability technologies Optifire and Optifire+ which offer guaranteed traceability of the applied Nullifire product installed on-site.

“Optifire is a unique UV technology, which is activated by exposing the product’s surface to a UV light source, to offer easy and instant product identification, while Optifire+ offers pigment technology, which is impossible to manipulate.

National Fire Chiefs Council launches online procurement hub

by Featured NewsFirefighting EquipmentProducts

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has launched a Hub that features all current information on the NFCC National Fire Commercial Transformation Programme [NFCTP] as well as a host of resources for Fire Procurement and Commercial staff within the Fire and Rescue Services as well as being invaluable to those supplying to the sector.

The Team that forms the NFCTP was originally established in 2016 in response to the Fire Minister’s reform agenda. Chaired by Chief Sponsor Ann Millington [CEO of Kent FRS], it comprises six CFO/CEO category sponsors and six category leads from across the sector, the FIA reported.

Early views indicate that this is a vital resource that our Fire and Rescue and indeed other suppliers should explore and it may be found here.

Future (fire) proofing a building

by Featured NewsFire DoorsProducts

Marcus Parnham, commercial director at Profab Access, discusses how professionals can successfully futureproof a building

The construction sector is currently facing one of its biggest transitions to date, with legal requirements regarding the testing and certification of building products, including fire critical solutions, under much needed scrutiny and reform. 

The recent introduction of the Building Safety Bill is the latest stage in the government’s strategy to creating a new era of accountability throughout the construction industry. The draft regulation outlined within the Construction Products Regulations 2022 summaries the general safety requirements that all construction products being placed on the UK market must meet.  

With regard to safety-critical products, Part 3 outlines the obligations that manufacturers must fulfil, with tougher penalties applying to those who do not meet their obligations. Special focus has also been placed on the communication of false or misleading claims regarding the performance of a product. 

The revised regulations have been drafted following the learning of Phase 1 of the Grenfell Inquiry, which highlighted the inefficacy of the government’s current testing regime and its enforcement. This included associated complications regarding how key building information is obtained or interpreted by relevant individuals throughout the construction and maintenance stages of a development. 

The inquiry also exposed concerning ambiguities regarding current guidelines and regulations, not only in relation to the testing of building materials that are specified, installed and maintained, but also the roles and responsibilities of each individual involved throughout these pivotal points to ensure continued compliance.  

For example, in relation to fire integrity riser doors in particular, there are current disparities between the guidelines outlined in BS EN 1634 Standard and Annex B of Approved Document B2. As a result, some manufacturers may only conduct product assessments via a third party, whilst others may undertake continuous rigorous independent product testing and certification to evidence their products are consistently suitable for installation. 

For those manufacturers who may submit evidence in the form of assessment reports, it is often based on primary testing that may have been conducted many years ago. Providing that a manufacturer states nothing has changed in terms of product materials, specifications and manufacturing techniques, assessments will often be renewed for a further five-year period, without any substantial fire performance tests being completed. 

This is a prime example of the substantial dissimilarities and associated misperceptions that the industry currently faces.  

In response to this, Phase 2 of the Grenfell Inquiry is addressing whether existing guidance on how to comply with Building Regulations is sufficiently clear and reliable. In addition to the Building Safety Bill, the National Construction Products Regulator will also be responsible for identifying the corresponding weaknesses of the current product testing regime in relation to legal requirements. 

Whilst the regulator will have the ability to conduct its own tests of building materials specified in fire critical environments, it is also the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure the products they supply are not only compliant, but suitable for the proposed application. 

This responsibility is also shared by the customer, who has a legal obligation to undertake and evidence comprehensive due diligence by ensuring they request demonstration of compliance and subsequent testing reports, not just product assessments, for each building component specified on their project. This will ensure no assumptions are made regarding the suitability and performance of the materials installed to ensure the long term suitability and safety of the building for its entire lifecycle.  

First raised in Dame Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, the fire-resistance of a building product should also be tested in ‘real-world conditions’, to ensure that all performance figures stated by the manufacturer are factual and represent the final installation.  

In this new era of accountability, simply meeting current standards and regulations will no longer be acceptable – it is imperative that the industry sets the standard for achieving a proactive and comprehensive approach to building safety.  

By undertaking product testing and certification by an accredited third party, manufacturers can prove they have fulfilled their duty of care in terms of best practice. This can be done by providing evidence that the solution is not only fit for purpose, but goes above and beyond current requirements to offer the highest possible standards in quality, performance and safety.  

The certification of a product by an accredited third party via a dedicated testing programme, rather than through product assessments, also reassures each party involved throughout the construction and maintenance stages that it will not fail in the event of a fire. This is because testing provides continued assurance with regard to the product being supplied, whereas product assessments alone do not provide continuous surveillance and assurance of consistency and quality.  

This is further reflected throughout third party testers’ involvement throughout the entire construction process, as they ensure manufacturers implement appropriate measures that maintain manufacturing consistency and that the product tested is a true representative of production.  

With regard to riser doors in particular, this extensive testing process will guarantee a manufacturer goes above the guidance outlined in BS EN 1634 to ensure complete compliance with the legislation defined in Annex B of Approved Document B2, to consistently provide construction professionals and their clients with the highest levels of protection, certification and compliance. 

However, for manufacturers to completely fulfil their duty of care and for customers to also ensure they are taking all reasonable measures to ensure the building is complaint, safe and suitable, third party testing should be undertaken for the complete doorset, including each individual component, to successfully futureproof the project.  

Beyond the testing of the doorset, it is also critical that it is installed into an approved wall construction in a method consistent with the sample originally tested. In practice, the installation process poses a number of risks to the overall fire integrity of a construction through variables such as the packer type and intumescent mastic bead application. 

To overcome this potential gap in compliance, professionals should look to work with manufacturers that are taking this commitment to third party testing and certification even further through latest advancements in technology and product design, which are providing a revolutionary approach to the installation and maintenance processes.  

This includes the design and manufacture of high-quality steel riser doors that are supplied with adjustable frames that include an integral intumescent strip to provide fire stopping between the wall and frame. This not only eliminates the requirement of packers and the reliance of the correct thickness of intumescent mastic bead, but most importantly ensures the compliance and adequacy of the entire installation, as its fire integrity performance has been sufficiently documented by an independent assessor. As a result, this also subsequently increases the efficiencies of installation and removes any potential margins for error. 

By considering each individual element that forms part of the entire installation and ensuring that the relevant components have undergone the necessary testing and certification processes, professionals can not only streamline the initial design and specification stages but produce an extensive digital audit trail that documents compliance and product suitability at every stage of the construction process.  

As the construction sector continues to unearth deep rooted issues regarding the development, testing and certification of products, we are starting to see proficient changes in action, as manufacturers, architects, specifiers and contractors work together to create and communicate an uninterrupted set of information and certification that goes above and beyond adhering to regulations. 

For further information on Profab Access and its range of riser doors, access panels, and steel doors, call +44(0)1827 719051 or visit www.profabaccess.com.  

Solarsense and Avon win big at the Green Energy Awards

by EventsFeatured News

Solar energy specialist Solarsense and Avon Fire & Rescue Service have won clean energy scheme of the year at the Regen Green Energy Awards. The partnership was recognised for its “extraordinary” contribution to the energy transition.

The national Green Energy Awards aim to celebrate the best projects, leading organisations and inspiring people in the renewable energy sector. Solarsense and Avon Fire & Rescue were up against strong competition in the ‘clean energy scheme’ category, which recognises pioneering schemes which have delivered significant carbon savings.

The winning entry saw Solarsense work together with Avon Fire & Rescue to combine a range of integrated renewable energy technologies across five stations in the South West.  Through a combination of solar panels, battery storage, solar thermal and heat pumps, the project will generate carbon savings of more than 127,117kg per year – providing a benchmark for the role of the blue light sector in the UK’s net zero journey.

Stephen Barrett, Managing Director of Solarsense, said: “It was fantastic working with Avon Fire & Rescue Service on this project, which shows how a range of different clean technologies can be combined for maximum impact on carbon emissions – as well as long term cost savings. We were absolutely delighted to receive this award and hope that the scheme will inspire other Fire & Rescue services to make similar improvements.”

Annabel Harford, Environmental Manager at Avon Fire & Rescue Service, said: “As a Fire & Rescue Service we are on the frontline in responding to the increasing impacts of climate change and so we feel we have a responsibility to reduce our own carbon emissions. We have publicly committed to achieving Net Zero by 2030 and this project was an important step on the road to achieving that ambition. It was great to work with a local company who really shared our passion for sustainability.”

Based in North Somerset, Solarsense are located within approximately 25 miles of all the fire stations involved in the project, meaning they could minimise travel and reduce the overall carbon impact of the scheme. Both Solarsense and Avon Fire & Rescue Service operate with a sustainable procurement practice, ensuring that the products installed are as environmentally friendly as possible.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service will now look at the potential for these renewable energy technologies to be replicated across their other sixteen stations. In the longer term they will also consider the possibility of additional innovations such as electric vehicle charge points and the trialling of electric fire engines.

As well as reducing the Service’s carbon footprint, the ability to generate renewable power and heat on site will allow the organisation to make financial savings which can be reinvested in both core business activities and further sustainability efforts.

Merlin Hyman, chief executive, Regen, said: “The 2022 Green Energy Awards showcased the extraordinary range of innovative zero carbon solutions available and the pioneering individuals committed to bringing them forward. The inspiring award winners and nominees demonstrate we have the ability to end our addiction to fossil fuels and will, I hope, galvanise us all to take even bolder action towards net zero.”