Notice Board
Abloy UK reinforces importance of access control compliance after new statistics reveal sharp increase in fires
» ABLOY UK HAS REINFORCED THE importance of fire door compliance after new government statistics revealed a sharp and shocking increase in the number of fires in England .
Fire and rescue services attended 178,737 fires in the year ending March 2023 - a 17 % increase on the previous year , tragically resulting in the deaths of 259 people in firerelated instances .
With this in mind , and to mark the start of Fire Door Safety Week 2023 , Abloy is calling for a better understanding of regulations around escape systems to raise standards within the industry and reduce the risk of loss of life .
Pat Jefferies , Commercial Director at Abloy UK , explains : “ Abloy is a huge advocate of fire and emergency escape door compliance and an avid supporter of Fire Door Safety Week . We promote the crucial importance of fire doors in saving lives and protecting property – not just during the initiative but all year round .
“ When it comes to access control in public buildings , there is no greater responsibility than specifying the correct locking solution on emergency escape and fire doors . As well as having a moral obligation to ensure access control systems adhere to the latest regulations , there is also a legal requirement for those in charge of a public building – whether that ’ s an employer , building owner , or facilities or building manager .”
There are several building regulation standards in place that relate to access control , and it ’ s essential that these are adhered to , to ensure safety and security .
These include EN179 Emergency Escape ( for when the building occupants are aware of the building environment ), EN1125 Panic Escape ( for environments used by the general public ) and EN13637 Electronically Controlled Escape Systems ( for use on escape routes ).
These standards state that even if a door is electronically controlled for access there must be a compliant mechanical means of escape in an emergency .
In the case of fire doors this is essential to provide fire protection , compartmentalise a building and protect the escape routes . This is also a critical function in a terror situation - offering the ability to shut off certain areas to terrorists and allow controlled egress or access to ensure the safety of the public .
There was also a recent amendment to BS 7273 : Pt4 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures – Part 4 : Actuation of release mechanisms
for doors , to enhance security and provide safer means of controlling the unauthorised use of escape doors .
Pat added : “ Even with all these regulations in place , there is little awareness of who is responsible for fire safety duties . There needs to be greater education on escape and fire door safety , and how to ensure the solutions specified are safe and compliant .
“ This is most crucially to guarantee the safety of a building ’ s occupants , but also to make sure that the building manager is not liable if an accident does occur .”
With this in mind , the Abloy Academy offers a range of free courses designed to designed to train installers , security managers , end users and specifiers , giving them the skills and knowledge to ensure maximum safety and security while helping to save lives in an emergency .
These include the Foundations and Foundations Plus courses , and new RIBA approved CPDs to help educate on specifying compliant access control solution .
Pat concluded : “ Compliance must be taken very seriously – the shocking increase in fires in England makes this an even more pertinent issue . With the free courses available at the Abloy Academy , specifiers of access control solutions for emergency escape and fire doors can ensure that systems adhere to the latest regulations .
“ After all , it could mean the difference between life and death .”
For information on the Abloy Academy , the courses on offer , and to register to attend , go to https :// bit . ly / 3rl9Frz . For further information on products and services available from Abloy UK , visit www . abloy . co . uk , call 01902 364 500 , or email info @ abloy . co . uk .
OCTOBER 2023
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