FIRE SAFETY
THE IMPORTANCE OF FIRE DOOR INSPECTIONS IN SCHOOLS
» SHOCKINGLY , THERE ARE OVER 1,000 school fires a year in the UK , costing an average of £ 2.8m in larger incidents , with one education insurer reporting that the large majority of UK schools are found to have ‘ poor ’ fire protection systems . Now , Door Group – a unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland – is calling for higher standards of fire door inspections within education buildings .
Fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building , and regular inspections are essential to fully ensure health and safety measures are met . Education buildings can present highly specific requirements for fire doorsets , with particularly varied legislation and building regulations surrounding fire doors in schools .
As part of its commitment to fire door safety , Door Group provide a fully comprehensive inspection which can be carried out every three , four , six or 12 months to suit specific requirements .
Following inspections , Door Group offers detailed reports containing advice and recommendations on necessary improvements , with the knowledge that identifying any potential issues that could impact safety and product performance can be lifesaving .
If any issues do occur , a tailored repair proposal is issued to include anything from replacement doors to a regular maintenance program . Door Group inspectors are BRE-certified and will
ensure that all fire doors inspected meet all necessary standards and regulations . Brian Sofley , Managing Director for ASSA ABLOY Door Group , explains : “ The figures we ’ re seeing regarding fires in the education sector are terrifying . An education building should be a safe and secure place for students and staff to work and learn , yet in recent inspections we have found a significant percentage ( in some cases > 90 %) of fire doorsets in schools failing to meet fire compliancy requirements .
“ Door Group is committed to making schools , colleges and universities across the UK fire protected . With regular and thorough inspections , we can ensure the compliance and performance of fire doorsets in an effort to improve overall fire safety in the educational environment .”
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ASSA ABLOY Project Specification Group stresses the importance of safety over cost
» THIS YEAR ’ S RECENT FIRE DOOR Safety Week ( 21-27 September ) served as a timely reminder that poor installation and maintenance of fire safety products can have devastating consequences .
Project Specification Group , a unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland , believes that the drive to reduce cost must not be allowed to compromise the safety performance of a building .
“ Unfortunately , we live in an age where there is a constant need to drive down costs and deliver services quicker than ever before . As a result , the building industry as a whole has become disjointed ,” says Brian Sofley , Managing Director for ASSA ABLOY Project Specification Group .
“ It is well known that compromising on the specification can impact the operational safety of a building , but with no system to ensure compliance , it is too easy to deviate from the recommended specification .
“ More education is needed on the cost savings versus the safety impact and overall lifetime consequences of substituting products , but more importantly policies and practices need enforcing which police this and hold everyone accountable within the construction process .”
Fire safety is only properly maintained if standards and checks are carried out throughout the lifecycle of the product and building . This is best addressed through regular inspection , maintenance and the replacement of products .
However , the success of this relies on individuals being well-trained . As a critical component in the overall safety of a building , training should be up to standard and regulated , so skills can be certified and assessed .
ASSA ABLOY Project Specification Group supports architects , developers and contractors at every stage of a project , from design , sustainability and legislation advice to installation and ongoing maintenance .
To help specifiers further , Project Specification Group ’ s BIM offering – Openings Studio™ – streamlines the specification process for doors and ironmongery , and helps reduce costs throughout the project lifecycle .
To find out more , please call 0845 071 0882 to speak with an experienced Project Design Consultant , email ukspecification @ assaabloy . com or visit www . assaabloyopeningsolutions . co . uk / specification .
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SEP / OCT 2020
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