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Most of us are only made aware of the danger of fire from headline disasters and yet , in the year ending March 2021 , fire response teams attended 151,086 fires in the UK , of which the average total response time to primary fires in England was 8 minutes and 35 seconds .
Fire doors play a fundamental role in these scenarios and are rigorously constructed and tested to British Standards BS 476 : Part 22 or BS EN 1634-1 to ensure they remain fire resistant for a minimum of 30 minutes ( FD30 ) or 60 minutes ( FD60 ) - holding out long enough to cover response times and evacuation . Fire door hardware is also meticulously designed to comply with UK Construction Products Regulations and is tested under BS EN 1154 , BS EN 1155 and BS EN 1634 standards and CE marked . After all , without functioning hardware , a fire door is rendered useless .
Fire door safety is an area that should never be neglected . Often , fire doors are the first line of defense in protecting people and property in the event of a fire - but only when installed and maintained appropriately . Yet , as incident reports repeatedly highlight , the significance of working
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fire doors remains habitually overlooked .
The latest in reformed guidelines hope to address this , with the introduction of this year ’ s Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Bill highlighting the diligent detail in which all responsible parties must approach the subject .
Missing knowledge
Fire doors fall under what ’ s described as a building ’ s passive fire protection system . At their most basic and when closed , they form a barrier and enable a building to compartmentalise the spread of fire and smoke . When open , they provide an essential means of escape . Yet there ’ s nothing rudimentary about fire door safety .
However , danger commonly lies where fire door safety is misunderstood . Especially when you consider that last year alone , for local authorities , a staggering 65 % of 26,318 planned fire door maintenance and replacement phases did not progress as scheduled - leaving doors neglected and buildings vulnerable . And while some may dispute that 2020 fell to extenuating circumstances , there ’ s no argument that fire door safety has become too easy to neglect .
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Closing The Gap
Evidently , the gap in fire door safety expertise is resulting in poor design choices , faltering standards and general lack of knowledge . While it ’ s clear that expertise is lacking across various touchpoints - think product selection , installation and maintenance - there is momentum to incite real change and the resources to improve awareness and education .
In response , and leading by example , is the Architects Registration Board ( ARB ) which recently published guidance to suggest fire safety is taught under architecture curriculum at universities . And while this shows positive steps are being made , the onus can ’ t solely be passed to the next generation of architectural professionals . All professional areas must commit and , in an age where information is almost instantaneous , there are several methods to gain a greater understanding of fire door safety - and all from trusted sources .
In light of Fire Door Safety Week , the British Woodworking Federation Group shares regular advice and useful toolkits on fire door safety ; including a five step
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checklist that ’ s designed to support building owners in assessing their own fire doors ( via certification , apertures , gaps and seals , closers and operation ). Information pools like this provide modern building managers with the know-how they need to monitor and act - making the decision to repair or replace fire doors where necessary . For those actively involved in the maintenance stage , further guidance on topics such as certification and door closer adjustments is available online and by manufacturer request - showing fire door safety doesn ’ t need to be tackled alone .
When it comes to product selection and installation , there ’ s also a wealth of information and walkthroughs available in the form of detailed product datasheets and installation guides . These can often be found online and allow for a greater understanding on the hardware that ’ s available , leading to better design decisions and more reliable installation . Aside from product manuals , installers and contractors are commonly offered specialist site visits , training portals
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and even hardware classification guides in a bid to assist with projects post-installation . With this , professionals can ensure that their standards don ’ t slip after time passes , by understanding more about the rounded process that fire door safety is and being ready for maintenance periods when they approach . Today ’ s associations , professional bodies and manufacturers are on hand more than ever to assist specifiers , installers and end users throughout the process that is fire door safety . The support is there , and the resources are readily available and so , there ’ s now a real opportunity to improve fire safety awareness and education for the better .
How Allegion UK can Help
Allegion UK has a wealth of resources to help professionals undertake product selection , installation and maintenance checks on fire doors and hardware .
Find out more at : www . allegion . com
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