4 | FEBRUARY 2019
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
Expected Winter Whiteout
Means Autos Should Be Checked
Carrying out weekly checks on au-
tomatic doors in the run-up to the UK’s en-
visaged “worst winter in 70 years” is being
urged by experts from GEZE UK.
Weather forecasters are predicting that
a polar cold snap could bring the longest
whiteout Britain has seen since the 1950s
– not the time to find that automatic doors
are no longer working properly.
GEZE UK’s service director Steve Mar-
shall says that ensuring doors are properly
maintained and working correctly will help
reduce heat loss, reduce the chances of wa-
ter ingress – minimising the chance of slips
or trips – and reduce carbon footprint and
C02 levels into the building.
He advises estate and facilities managers
to put in place weekly checks to ensure
that doors open and close with maximum
efficiency.
“If the doors form a secure entrance
proper maintenance is essential to ensure
that the door leaf or leaves close fully on to
locks or magnetic locks to maintain securi-
ty,” he said.
He recommends a ‘ten-point plan’ to keep
doors in tip top condition. This includes:
1. Making sure that any operator run-
ning tracks or the path of travel that a door
follows is clear of debris including snow
and grit.
2. Checking brush strips or sealing strips
are present and in good condition.
3. Visually inspecting the operation of the
door and ensuring that it opens and closes
in a 20-25 second cycle time depending on
the application.
4. Ensuring that the door is brought to a
full close and if required engage with any
locking systems.
5. Making sure that sensors are clean and
free from damage.
6. Testing of any push button activation
devices to ensure door opens and closes
efficiently.
7. Inspect for any loose or damaged drive
arms which should be reported immediate-
ly.
8. Visually inspect the door for any dam-
age including breakages to glass and report
immediately.
9. Listen to the operation of the door any
unusual ‘metal on metal’ scraping which
may indicate a problem that will result in
failure of the door later. Again, this should
be reported immediately.
10. Visually inspect the door and identify
if there is any scraping of the door directly
on the floor.
In addition, ‘dutyholders’ need to prepare
for snowy and icy conditions and minimise
risk. The HSE’s Approved Code of Practice
(ACoP) L24 for the Workplace (Health, Safe-
ty and Welfare) Regulations notes in para-
graph 96 that this might include “gritting,
snow clearing and closing off some routes,
particularly outside stairs, ladders and walk-
ways on the roof”.
Carrying out risk assessments before the
bad weather arrives is the best course of
action, it recommends.
Adds Steve: “Generally, weather condi-
tions in the UK tend not to be so severe
but during the winter months we should
prepare for the worst and hope for the
best. Carrying out this simple ten-point
plan throughout the year should help keep
automatic doors working at their best and
keep anyone walking over our thresholds
safe and secure.”
www.geze.co.uk
‘INTERPRETATION’ OF PART K
INCREASING COST AND RISK
The ‘interpretative’
nature of specification
under Part K is leading to
wide variations in spec-
ification of IGUs
and balustrading,
according to
Cornwall Glass.
The South
West-based
glass processor
says that in its
experience, re-
quirements under Part
K: Protection from falling,
collision and impact, can be
interpreted ‘wildly different-
ly’ by individual building
control officers.
This means that in many
cases product is being
over-specified, artificial-
ly inflating costs. More
worryingly, it also means
that some specifications are
falling considerably short
of loading and containment
requirements, representing
a risk of injury and death.
Ceawlin Hickman,
Estimating and Technical
Representative, Cornwall
Glass, said: “Part K in com-
mon with some other areas
of building regulations, sets
out the requirement for
loadings in specific IGU and
balustrading applications
but isn’t explicit as to how
they’re to be achieved.
“This means it’s down to
interpretation of require-
ment, which in our experi-
ence can be wildly different
from one con-
trol authority
to the next. It also
means that installers, build-
ers and structural engineers
are frequently defaulting
to a catch-all specification,
which can artificially inflate
their costs compared to
those of their competitors.
“Much worse, they’re not
getting it right and putting
lives at risk.
He highlights a recent
industry horror story where
a Juliette balcony without a
head rail was signed off by
a building inspector having
used only a single sheet of
10mm toughened glass. “As
a minimum it needs to be a
21.5mm toughened lami-
nate”, Ceawlin stated.
“There are significant dif-
ferences in requirement if
it’s a u-channel or post and
rail system and the indus-
try and building inspectors
are not necessarily always
tuned into them”, he said.
This he warned was
another key challenge in
specification of large IGUs,
including applications in
floor to ceiling installations
with requirements for con-
tainment as specified in Part
K frequently overlooked.
This sets out the require-
ment for provisions for
containment in all doors
and windows where there
is a change in floor surface
height of 600mm or more
in residential applications
and 380mm in commercial
ones.
Over-sized units are now
a standard part of Cornwall
Glass’ production run. These
are for the most part, man-
ufactured at Cornwall Glass’
purpose-built IGU and pro-
cessing factories.
Going into operation at
the beginning of 2016 this
includes its’ state-of-the-
art Plymouth IGU facility,
which handles 57 different
glass types, ranging from
4mm to 19mm specifica-
tions, with capacity to man-
ufacture up to 2000 units
each day.
www.cornwallglass.co.uk
Eurocell opens new learning and development
centre to support fabricators and installers
Eurocell plc, the UK’s leading manu-
facturer, distributor and recycler of PVC-U
window, door, conservatory and roofline
systems, has opened a new learning and
development centre at its Alfreton based
headquarters, to provide training and sup-
port to the fenestration industry.
The state-of-the-art facility will ena-
ble Eurocell to provide regular practical
training and classroom-based support to
its customers, both fabricators and install-
ers. The purpose built classroom is fitted
out with the latest technology to create an
interactive learning experience and our
Demonstration Zone has custom built rigs
for dedicated installation training across
the full Eurocell product range, including:
Windows, French and Patio Doors, Bi-fold
Doors, Skypod Lantern Roofs, Equinox
Tiled Roofs, Coastline Cladding and Roof-
line, all free of charge.
The new learning and development
centre demonstrates Eurocell’s commitment
to upskilling the workforce in the indus-
try, supports the Eurocell Select Approved
Installer Scheme which is backed by FENSA,
CERTASS & ASSURE competent person
schemes and will help to deliver peace
of mind for consumers when selecting an
installer. To ensure the training is accessible
for all customers, sessions will also be avail-
able at 14 regional hubs across the UK.
In addition to supporting customers with
training, the new facility will allow Eurocell
to increase the amount of training that’s
offered to internal teams, allowing the
company to offer a greater level of customer
service and support. There is even a fully
fitted out mock branch to support teams
with sales and merchandising training.
Eurocell.co.uk