HARDWARE & SECURITY
Out of Sight , Out of Mind
Kirk Smith of Allegion UK reviews the attitudes towards passive fire protection in public-facing buildings and why being more proactive with fire door safety can help save lives .
» ARE PEOPLE TOO PASSIVE WHEN IT comes to fire door safety ? Research conducted by the British Woodworking Federation ( BWF ) in 2022 would suggest so , with a third of the British public stating they would not report a problem with a fire door , despite three-quarters of respondents believing a propped open fire door would not perform its role in the event of a fire .
From schools and shops to shared areas of employment and accommodation , people are habitually - and sometimes unknowingly - kept safe by passive fire protection systems such as fire doors and their hardware . Yet , in the same breath , occupants and visitors of busy public-facing buildings can be placed in danger by neglected or inappropriately used products . Highlighting these dangers , the Fire Door Inspection Scheme found 75 % of inspected fire doors in the UK failed to meet required safety standards in 2021 , for example .
Fast forward to present day and perceptions are being challenged . Following a period of regulatory updates , greater focus is being placed on the responsibilities associated with both active and passive fire protection , and with a 79 % rise in prosecutions related to fire safety violations between April 2023 and March 2024 , it certainly pays to pay more attention . Where most recognise the importance of fire extinguishers and smoke detectors , what more can be done to ensure fire doors and their hardware are held in the same regard ?
Regulated and relied upon
Passive fire protection is identified as the group of structural measures designed to inhibit the spread of smoke and fire . Frequently hidden in plain sight and sometimes taken for granted , fire doors are a key element of any building ’ s passive fire safety system and should never fall under neglect . In fact , fire doors are often the first line of defence against fire and smoke , and when closed , will compartmentalise spaces to protect property and provide occupants with an opportunity to escape .
Such is their importance to public safety ; fire doors are acknowledged by several professional bodies and are listed as a legal requirement in all non-domestic premises and houses in multiple occupation ( HMOs ). Under the recently updated Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 , a building ’ s designated Responsible Person ( RP ) must perform regular duties to review the condition of fire door systems , whilst providing residents with access to comprehensive fire safety information in the process . Functional fire doors and clear exit routes are critical in ensuring appropriate precautions and preventative measures are in place and as such , responsible persons must recognise that
Sources : https :// www . firedoorsafetyweek . co . uk / news-events / news / a-third-wouldnt-report-fire-door-safety-issues /, https :// fdis . co . uk , https :// www . gai . org . uk / GAI / News / News-Items / 2022 / fdis-survey-finds-three-quarters-of-uk-fire-doors-do-no-mete-the-required-standard . aspx , https :// www . legislation . gov . uk / uksi / 2005 / 1541 / contents / made
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OCTOBER 2024
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