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Doorsets, Fire Doors, Safety & Security with no product-handling element at all, let alone the real-world experience of installing or inspecting a fire door in actual site conditions, we need to ask: does this really deliver the competence the BSA demands?
Being competent to fit a life-saving piece of engineering simply can’ t be achieved by clicking through a multiple-choice test on a tablet. A computer can’ t teach a fitter or maintenance worker how to deal with a warped frame, an uneven floor, or a non-standard wall structure. Real competency requires practical proof, and those who deal with fire doors need to get their hands on the materials. They need to feel the tolerances, understand the hardware, and physically work with the systems they are signing off on. Unfortunately, theoretical knowledge doesn’ t stop fires.
A Driver for Change
The continued call for demonstrable competency offers a powerful leadership opportunity for large contractors, who have the ability to steer substantial change and establish new standards for the entire supply chain. By advocating accredited practical training and regulated qualifications, industry leaders can establish a culture of safety in which every site requires provable expertise. As this new benchmark ripples throughout the sector, professionalism, quality and trust will be strengthened across the industry.
With Section 35 of the BSA, the government is giving us the space to help define what excellence looks like, and the industry needs to take on this task as true experts and thought leaders. We have an important chance as a collective to set standards high for the built environment of the future and an opportunity to rise to excellence.
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Door Industry Journal Autumn 2026
99