HARDWARE & SECURITY
Ironmongery and fire safety : pre-handover legislation
» DOUGLAS MASTERSON , TECHNICAL manager at the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers ( GAI ), outlines the key things those involved with the specification of door hardware , prior to the handover of a building . Specifiers should work with architectural ironmongers to ensure doors and hardware are compliant with building regulations .
Approved Documents
Approved Document B in England covers fire safety matters within and around buildings . The most recent version was published in July 2019 . Approved Documents are not the law , but they provide practical guidance about how to meet the requirements of Building Regulations for England and Wales .
The equivalent documents across the
UK and Ireland are :
• Scotland - Technical Handbook 2
• Northern Ireland : Technical Booklet E
• Ireland : Technical Guidance Document B
Approved Document 7 determines the quality of materials and workmanship on site .
Using products covered by national and international standards , such as EN , ISO and BS , and third-party certificated products are some of the means listed of assessing suitability of materials . ISO 9000 and BS 8000 are some of the means listed of establishing the adequacy of workmanship .
Building Regulations
Under Regulation 38 : Building Regulations 2010 , fire safety information must be handed to the ‘ Responsible Person ’ at project completion or when the building or extension is first occupied .
This includes information relating to the design and construction of the building or extension , and the services , fittings and equipment provided .
For future fire door inspections and maintenance , the installation and maintenance instructions and traceability to the fire certificate must also be handed over .
British Standards BS 9999 : 2017
The following clauses in BS 9999:2017 relate to fire doors and hardware :
• Doors in fire-separating elements are one of the most important features of a fire protection strategy , and it is important to select a fire door that is suitable for its intended purpose .
• Doors installed on site should conform in dimensions and workmanship , to the manufacturer ’ s specification for the appropriate fire resistance test report / assessment .
• The failure of doors under fire conditions usually occurs at the gap between the door and the frame or at one or more of the points where building hardware is fitted ( particularly at the hinge or lock positions ).
BS 8214 : 2016
BS 8214:2016 provides guidance and recommendations for the specification , installation and maintenance of timber-based fire doors ( up to two hours resistance ) covering fire door assemblies .
Environmental Product Declarations
Environmental Product Declarations ( EPDs ) can only be compared when the rules of the Product Category Rules ( PCR ) used are the same and all the relevant life cycle stages have been included . Therefore , EPDs can only be compared on a like for like basis to make evaluations at a building level .
EPDs are not mandatory but certain manufacturers do provide this information . Declarations include information on the environmental impact of raw material acquisition ; energy use and efficiency ; content of materials and chemical substances ; emissions to air , soil and water ; and waste generation . Product and company information is also included .
Accessibility
The specification of ironmongery for fire doors needs to consider both fire safety and the impact on accessibility . Applicable legislation and standards include :
• The Equality Act 2010 . ( Great Britain )
• Disability Discrimination Act ( Northern Ireland )
• Relevant Approved Documents and Technical Handbooks , for example Approved Document M
• BS 8300:1 and 2 2018
Fire Test Evidence A fire door must have fire test evidence to prove that it is a fire door . For an ironmongery product to be used on a fire door it should have fire test evidence to show it has been tested on a similar construction of fire door .
The British standard for testing of fire doors is BS 476 22 and the European standard is EN 1634 1 . These are both acceptable for fire door testing under Approved Document B and equivalents in UK and Ireland .
CE and UKCA marking
CE marking is mandatory in EU and under the Construction Products Regulation for all products which fall under the scope of a Harmonised Standard . UKCA marking will also be mandatory in Great Britain for all products which fall under the scope of a UK designated standard .
Internal fire-rated doorsets still cannot be CE / UKCA marked as EN 14351-2 is still not harmonised / designated . External-fire rated doorsets must now be CE / UKCA marked to EN 16034 and EN 14351-1 . Please note that fire door assemblies do not fall under the scope of EN 16034 therefore cannot be CE / UKCA marked .
Third-party certification
Recognised by regulatory authorities worldwide , independent third-party certification schemes assure can act as an internationally respected mark of fire safety .
www . gai . org . uk / GAISpecGuides
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NOV / DEC 2021
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