HARDWARE & SECURITY
Speaking on the process of fire door hardware testing , Sue Corrick of Allegion UK comments :
“ In fire incidents , for a certified fire door to be effective and compliant , it must be able to fully close and remain closed by itself . Door hardware is designed to work in tandem with fire doors , assisting in the compartmentalisation of the building and facilitating the escape of occupants . And so , when it comes to production , all door closing devices must conform to Standards , EN 1154 and EN 1155 - and for exit devices , the mandatory EN 1125 and EN 179 . From July 2013 , it became a legal requirement for all products that are covered by a harmonized EN standard to be CE marked , of which , validation for the CE mark requires the production of a Declaration of Performance ( DoP ) by a manufacturer . This is now also the case for UKCA marking too .
“ It ’ s widely understood that fire doors themselves must be rigorously tested to British Standards BS 476 : Part 22 or
BS EN 1634-1 , to guarantee they remain fire resistant for a minimum of 30 minutes ( FD30 ) or 60 minutes ( FD60 ). With that in mind , decision makers have a clear responsibility to ensure only certified and compliant hardware is fitted to their fire doors - otherwise they risk the reliability of the door itself . All elements of a fire door , from exit hardware to handles , hinges and locks and latches must be fire-rated and thus , tested to verify their performance .
“ Outside of third-party testing , it ’ s also imperative for fire door hardware to be routinely tested internally . Over time , fire doors and their fitted hardware can be subject to wear and tear and so , all elements of the set must be checked to ensure performance remains optimal . To make sure fire doors are functioning in accordance with regulations , responsible parties must often check the functionality
and effectiveness of key elements of the door set : including opening and closing devices , the intumescent seals and door strips for example .
“ Furthermore , when retro fitting a product , there should always be evidence that the retro fit has been installed in the existing manufacture footprint . To safeguard the integrity of the fire door , it ’ s crucial that hardware isn ’ t replaced with an inferior product . Decision makers often find themselves under pressure to keep costs minimal , yet will find the cost for tested , verified products is higher than the cheaper , untested alternatives . But as is always the case with fire safety , cost saving should never detriment the safety of the building and the lives of those within . There ’ s always value in choosing the tried , tested and trusted methods .”
www . allegion . com
Sources ; https :// www . en-standard . eu / bs-en-1125-2008-building-hardware-panic-exit-devices-operated-by-a-horizontal-bar-for-use-on-escape-routes-requirements-and-test-methods /, https :// www . en-standard . eu / bs-en-179-2008-building-hardware-emergency-exit-devices-operated-by-a-lever-handle-or-push-pad-for-use-on-escape-routes-requirements-and-test-methods /, https :// www . gov . uk / guidance / ce-marking , https :// ec . europa . eu / growth / sectors / construction / construction-products-regulation-cpr / declaration-performance-and-ce-marking _ en , https :// www . gov . uk / guidance / using-theukca-marking , https :// www . firesafe . org . uk / british-standard-476-fire-tests /, https :// shop . bsigroup . com / products / fire-resistance-and-smoke-control-tests-for-door-and-shutter-assemblies-openablewindows-and-elements-of-building-hardware-fire-resistance-test-for-door-and-shutter-assemblies-and-openable-windows , https :// www . firedoorsafetyweek . co . uk / toolkit / five-step-fire-door-check /
JAN / FEB 2022
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