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When entering , exiting or passing through a building , door hardware is always the first point of contact . Whether users are met with a mechanical system such as a lever handle , an exit device or an access control solution , all architectural hardware must be fit for its role - operating as intended the first time , every time .
Aside from being an integral piece of a building ’ s navigational network , door hardware inherently plays a vital role in critical safety scenarios too . Fire doors and their hardware , when called upon ( a total of 151,096 times in the UK in the year ending March 2021 , according to national statistics ) must demonstrate their reliability through quality , performance and durability . And in order to certify this , testing is paramount .
Impartial product testing
Third-party certification , widely viewed as the safest and fairest testing practice , is the process of testing and verifying a fire door ’ s design , performance and manufacturing process under British Standards - authenticating the quality of products and providing a guarantee for decision makers and occupants alike . Carried out by independent bodies , third-party certification comprises of meeting specific criteria :
• The Fire Test
• Auditing the Manufacturing Process
• The Audit Test
• Traceability
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Today , traceability is as vital as ever . Door hardware must always be synonymous with quality , but over the past few years , critical questions have been raised towards the fire safety of buildings and the integrity of the products used within . Dame Judith Hackitt ’ s Independent Review has been a catalyst for change , accelerating legislative updates while lifting any remaining ambiguity surrounding fire and building safety .
Addressing the criticisms , the Building Safety Bill was introduced in 2021 and within it , the Golden Thread of Information introduced . The ‘ Golden Thread ’ policy , initially recommended by Dame Judith , has been designed to increase the transparency of building construction and maintenance , through routinely updated documentation of a building ’ s life cycle .
More recently , the newly published Code for Construction Product Information ( CCPI ) seeks to promote a change in approach to the management of construction product information , ensuring manufacturers provide clear , accurate , up-to-date , accessible and unambiguous product information . These legislative changes are driving higher standards and put a greater emphasis on product integrity and further stress the importance of transparency through third-party product testing . There ’ s simply no room for disingenuous product information when it comes to safety .
Speaking on the process of fire door hardware testing , Sue Corrick of Allegion UK comments :
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“ In fire incidents , for a certified fire door to be effective and compliant , it must be able to fully close and remain closed by itself . Door hardware is designed to work in tandem with fire doors , assisting in the compartmentalisation of the building and facilitating the escape of occupants . And so , when it comes to production , all door closing devices must conform to Standards , EN 1154 and EN 1155 - and for exit devices , the mandatory EN 1125 and EN 179 . From July 2013 , it became a legal requirement for all products that are covered by |
a harmonised EN standard to be CE marked , of which , validation for the CE mark requires the production of a Declaration of Performance ( DoP ) by a manufacturer . This is now also the case for UKCA marking too . “ It ’ s widely understood that fire doors themselves must be |
rigorously tested to British Standards BS 476 : Part 22 or BS EN 1634-1 , to guarantee they remain fire resistant for a minimum of 30 minutes ( FD30 ) or 60 minutes ( FD60 ). With that in mind , decision makers have a clear responsibility to ensure only certified and compliant hardware is fitted to their fire doors - otherwise they risk the reliability of the door itself . All elements of a |