PROFAB ACCESS
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
WITH FIRE TESTING
Profab Access Ltd, part of the Access 360 portfolio, is prioritising
fire safety in buildings with the introduction of fire testing for both
sides of its 4000 Series riser door range. subsequent Government Implementation Plan, published in
December 2018, four key areas were highlighted for improvement,
including “Clearer standards and guidance, and product safety”.
Established in 2001, Profab Access Ltd is a leading UK manufacturer
of wall and ceiling access panels and riser doors. The company
employs a team of 71 and operates from a 46,000 sq. ft.
manufacturing and distribution facility in Atherstone, Warwickshire.
All aspects of the design and manufacturing process are carried out
onsite. James Fisher, Managing Director of Access 360, comments, “From
our perspective actions speak louder than words. In the spirit of the
Hackitt Review we wanted to ‘start living the cultural shift’ and to
lead the industry by investing in testing and certification because
we believe it’s the right thing to do and not just because it’s a legal
requirement.”
Profab has been working with the global testing, inspection and
certification company, Warrington Fire, for several years and has the
CERTIFIRE independent third party certification for its 4000 Series
riser doors, 8000 Series access panels for tiled walls, 1000 Series
access panels and steel doors. The 4000 and 8000 Series ranges
are available with up to a 4 hour CERTIFIRE rating. “Fire testing from both sides is a significant investment on our
part, in terms of time and cost. It takes nearly twice as long to test
from both sides, requires two doors to be tested on opposite sides
and doubles the cost of the testing and certification process. The
benefit to our customers is that they can have absolute confidence
that when they specify a Profab fire rated riser door its performance
has been tested and independently verified above and beyond
what is legally required.”
Since the Grenfell Tower fire the issue of fire safety has dominated
the construction sector. Following the Hackitt Review and the