68 • FIRE SAFETY & SECURITY
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THE LATEST FIRE DOOR SAFETY STANDARDS
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SECUREFAST IS ONE OF THE UK’ S leading providers of a comprehensive range of fire rated locking solutions all fully tested to EN1634-1, for 30 minute and 60 minute timber fire doors. This includes the company’ s range of Electro Magnetic locks specifically designed for internal doors that also operate as fire doors.
Securefast has not only fire tested its Electro Magnetic Lock range but has also had them tested by an independent test house to TS010:2016, a performance standard that ensures that there is a consistency in the holding force of the magnet and to give customers the confidence that the product does what is claimed by the manufacturer. These products all have a Declaration of Conformity which can be downloaded from http:// www. securefast. co. uk / technical / certification- &-doc/
Kevin O’ Reilly of Securefast outlines below key factors that specifiers need to consider when commissioning fire safety access controls.
Every fire door is required to act as a barrier to the passage of smoke and / or fire to varying degrees depending upon its location in a building and the fire hazards associated therewith.
It is important to note that any product installed does not affect the integrity of the door, so Securefast has ensured that its face to face and transom-housed electro-magnetic locks have been fully tested and fire rated for use on 30 and 60 minute fire doors. It is also relevant that the intumescent used is the same as that tested with the product. Securefast specifies Interdens intumescent wrap around the bolt fixing through the door to ensure that when heat is transferred during a fire that it fully seals and ensures that the door stays intact for the duration intended. Any substitute intumescent may not react in the same way; may not fulfil the aperture as intended and may compromise the performance of the fire door.
Several regulations apply to both new and existing buildings in the UK.
In the case of new buildings, or those which include alterations, extensions or change of use, the appropriate Building Regulations apply. Existing buildings, other than domestic properties, are governed by the requirements of the Regulatory Reform( Fire Safety) Order: 2005 – known as the RRO. Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations( England and Wales) links the Building Regulations to the RRO for those buildings to which the RRO applies.
‘ several regulations apply to both new and existing buildings in the UK’
NEW BUILDINGS
Building Regulations are known as Approved Documents( or equivalent) and designed to help meet the minimum standards required for construction in the UK.
Because fire doors are functional items and are necessary in all buildings and structures, they must meet various regulations such as sound, accessibility, ventilation, thermal efficiency and safety glazing as well as fire safety.
The Approved Document regulations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are:
• England and Wales- Approved Documents
• Scottish Building Standards- Technical Handbooks
• Northern Ireland- Technical Booklets
• Other Regulations and Codes
In addition, fire doors may also be required to comply with other codes and standards to meet BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes criteria, as well as procurement requirements for
responsible sourcing of materials such as those provided by forest certification and chain of custody required under CPET regulations, which apply to ALL projects undertaken by UK Government Public Sector and its agencies.
EXISTING BUILDINGS
The Regulatory Reform( Fire Safety) Order 2005 replaced more than 70 pieces of fire safety law and came into force in 2006.
The responsibility for fire risk assessment in all non-domestic buildings, including the common parts of flats and houses of multiple occupancy falls to the so-called‘ responsible person’. Under the FSO( Fire Safety Order), the responsible person must carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement and maintain a fire management plan.
This applies to you if you are:
• responsible for business premises
• an employer or self-employed with business premises
• responsible for a part of a dwelling where that part is solely used for business purposes
• a charity or voluntary organisation
• a contractor with a degree of control over any premises
• providing accommodation for paying guests
Fire doors play a major role in the fire safety and protection of ALL buildings covered by the FSO and must be inspected correctly and maintained to ensure compliance.
Failure to do so can place lives and property at risk and may result in criminal prosecution.
www. securefast. co. uk
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL. CO. UK | NOV / DEC 2017