FIRE SAFETY
RADIO CONTROLLED FIRE DOOR SYSTEM AND THE FIRE SAFETY BILL 2020
» CURRENTLY PROGRESSING its way through Parliament , the Fire Safety Bill 2020 proposes fundamental changes to the Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 . The changes will action the recommendations identified by the Grenfell Tower public inquiry and the Dame Judith Hackett review in order to prioritise and protect resident ’ s safety . The bill will impact any managed residential blocks in England , Wales and Northern Ireland where the main use of the building is sleeping , such as ; blocks of flats , student accommodation , hotels and hostels .
Previously the responsibility of non-communal fire doors was not a legal obligation of building owners or managers , who were able to satisfy legal requirements by asking residents to carry out their own inspection and reporting back any problems . The lack of clarity around responsibility for flat entrance fire doors often resulted in essential maintenance and repairs not being carried out .
Building regulations dictate that fire doors must be fitted with a BS EN 1154 : 1997 standard self-closing device in order to ensure fire doors ‘ swing-shut ’ after use . These devices can make heavy fire doors cumbersome , presenting significant obstacles to the young , elderly or disabled . In residential settings , such as student accommodation or care homes where isolation , access or ventilation can be a problem , residents often risk fire door integrity by using wedges to prop open bedroom and flat entrance doors .
A BS EN1155 standard hold-open , free-swing door closer removes many of the risks associated with standard self-closing devices ensuring that heavy fire doors feel lightweight , easy to move and can be held open at any angle whilst closing in the event of a fire .
The BS 7273-4:2015 code of practice specifically relates to the operation of fire protection measures and the actuation of release mechanisms for doors . There are three actuation types for door devices in different settings ; critical , standard and indirect . Critical actuation ( Category A ) is the highest level of protection available , ensuring that self-closing devices are failsafe to any potential fault and can actuate within two minutes of power failure .
The Salamander door closer is suitable for most fire doors , holding them open at any desired position , while the Salamander door holder is designed for doors where standard closers are already
A fire door is an essential part of a building ’ s passive fire protection system . A critical component of every fire door is the hardware on it .
in place . Salamander offers the only wire-free system of radio controlled fire door holders and closers which complies with Category A of BS7273-4 . Each Salamander device connects wirelessly to a mains-powered controller unit , which is connected to the building ’ s existing fire alarm system . One controller unit can manage up to 99 fire door closers or fire door holders . All products in the Salamander
FIRE DOOR HARDWARE
As important as the door
At ZEROplus we have been independently fire testing door hardware for over 20 years , to be able today to offer an extensive range of tested products .
Seals Hinges Locks Euro Cylinders Lever Handles Door Closers Letter Plates
Door Stays Vision Frames Louvres Door Viewers Flush Bolts Panic & Emergency Exit Hardware
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range are battery-powered , wire-free and offer two-way communication between controller and device .
Finally , as the wireless Salamander system can be retrofitted to existing buildings , it offers the same benefits as a hard-wired system whilst saving time , installation costs and disruption to a building ’ s fabric or occupants .
www . geofire . co . uk
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