SECTOR INSIGHT
DHF ISSUES WARNING ABOUT EXTERNAL PANIC AND EMERGENCY EXIT DOORSETS
» DOOR & HARDWARE FEDERATION( DHF) and GAI( the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers) have recently been informed by the Office for Product Safety and Standards( OPSS) that they are aware of cases where external panic or emergency exit doorsets have been supplied, conformity marked against EN 14351-1:2006 + A2:2016, but without the necessary third-party certification.
“ There is concern that some economic operators may not be fully aware of the conformity marking requirements for these products, and we believe it is appropriate to issue a general reminder to the market,” explains Michael Skelding, DHF’ s General Manager & Secretary.“ There is no suggestion of course, that the suppliers concerned were members of either DHF or GAI.”
The testing and certification required for conformity marking( CE or UKCA) is specified in the Annex Z of EN 14351-
1:2006 + A2:2016. To conformity mark an external doorset that is neither fireresisting nor an emergency / panic exit, no third-party certification is required. Other performance characteristics, such as watertightness and resistance to wind load, will typically require third-party
testing from a notified or approved test body, but not third-party certification.
“ The requirement for third-party certification arises when an external doorset being placed on the market has either or both of the following special characteristics,” concludes Michael,“ that it is a panic or emergency exit( fitted with appropriate hardware), and / or that it is fire-resisting. Third-party certification must be obtained from an EU notified certification body( for CE marking) or a UK approved certification body( for UKCA marking). The certification body will issue a Certificate of Constancy of Performance, which the manufacturer( or person responsible for placing the product on the market) must retain in their technical file for the product.”
For further information on this, please contact the DHF technical team on technical @ dhfonline. org. uk.
ASSA ABLOY Door Group strengthens commitment to Young Enterprise NI
» ASSA ABLOY OPENING SOLUTIONS UK & Ireland Door Group( Door Group) was delighted to sponsor the Blast Off Programme award at the Dragons’ Denstyle event, reinforcing its dedication to supporting young people in developing essential entrepreneurial skills.
Brian Sofley, Managing Director at Door Group, proudly joined the panel of judges to assess students’ innovative business ideas as part of this dynamic programme.
This is the latest event that sees Door Group continuing its role as a Young Enterprise NI Impact Partner. Through this partnership, Door Group colleagues actively engage in various programmes to provide valuable guidance and mentorship to students across Northern Ireland. Its team members have contributed their time and expertise to several Young Enterprise NI initiatives.
Brian explains:“ Over the past two years, I have been actively involved in mentoring student companies as part of the esteemed Company Programme; empowering students aged 15-19 to establish and manage their own businesses, earn real profits and compete for awards.
“ In 2024, our mentored team from Friends’ School Lisburn, called BottleUp, successfully claimed the title of Northern Ireland Company of the Year. BottleUp’ s innovative approach of upcycling plastic bottles into decorative flowers and arrangements not only impressed regional judges but also earned them the Creativity Award at the UK-wide finals.
“ Continuing our commitment this year, we are currently supporting another two teams from Friends’ School Lisburn, Pebble Portraits(@ pebbleportraits _ ye), and SecondSip(@ secondsip _ ye).”
The company’ s involvement extends beyond mentoring. Recently, Lisa O’ Hanlon, Door Group’ s new Financial Director, participated in a Learn to Earn event at St Ciaran’ s Community School in Ballygawley.
In addition, Steven Cunningham, Door Group’ s Engineering Manager, is involved in the Business Beginnings programme with P7 students in Millington Primary School. Both programmes engage with students to help them understand the value of skills, career planning, and financial literacy.
www. assaabloy. com
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APRIL 2025
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