Fire Door Safety Week 2018 will feature five fire safety films, a new white paper and details of new centres running fire door installation courses.The campaign, which runs between 24-30 September, will also witness the introduction of a ‘fire door alert’ system by the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (based on the five-step check launched during the 2015 campaign) and a seminar – ‘Are you fire door sure? – held in London on 27 September.
Over three million fire doors are installed every year in the UK and thousands would fail to do their job properly in the event of a fire due to incorrect specification and installation as well as infrequent maintenance.
ASSA ABLOY UK is marking this year’s campaign, which has adopted the theme ‘Fire Door Five: Shutting the door on fire and smoke’, with an event in Birmingham aimed at educating building owners, facility managers and other persons responsible for fire door safety.
Taking place at West Midlands Fire Service’s headquarters on Thursday 27 September the event will examine the importance and future of certification, common installation, inspection and maintenance issues, and the role of compartmentalisation within high rise residential buildings.
There will be a discussion panel, presentations and case studies from British Woodworking Federation (BWF), BRE Global, Exova Warringtonfire, West Midlands Fire Service, the NHS and ASSA ABLOY UK.
“Only 17% of door closers at Grenfell were present and working.” David Hindle, head of door controls, ASSA ABLOY UK.
“The draft report produced by BRE Global on behalf of the Metropolitan Police highlighted that only 17% of door closers at Grenfell were present and working,” said David Hindle, head of door controls for ASSA ABLOY UK. “Door closers and other door hardware that impacts on the performance of a fire door or doorset are a critical part of fire safety and should be subject to performance standards and regular maintenance and testing.
“After the success of our Fire Door Safety Week 2017 event, we wanted to continue to help educate professionals on raising the standards of fire door safety. We urge building owners, facility managers and persons responsible for fire door safety to attend this year’s event to learn more as we all have to start treating and recognising passive fire protection as critical, at all times.”
ASSA ABLOY recently published a whitepaper in response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.
Find out more or register to attend here. The event takes place 27 September at West Midlands Fire Service’s headquarters.
A passive fire protection manufacturer is urging fire door producers and specifiers to “design out risk” in their fire safety products.
“We can do so much more to design-out risks in the performance of the doorsets, and that requires an all year round focus on the components and products that deliver passive fire protection,” said Cath McLean, Promat UK segment manager for glass. “It is incumbent on us all to make every week a Fire Door Safety Week.”
As a member of the Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF) Fire Resistant Glazing Group the company is involved in efforts to educate designers, manufacturers, specifiers and installers about the role played by fire-rated doorsets and the dangers posed by corner-cutting.
“Referring to the company’s ‘Specified for a Reason’ message McLean said “we are working hard to educate and support everyone in the fire door supply chain to ensure that critical products are not incorrectly specified or poorly applied.
“Unfortunately, we still see too many examples of corners being cut to save a few pounds on a doorset that is designed to protect lives and valuable assets – and that is something the industry needs to rid itself of quickly if we are to avoid future tragedies.”
Promat UK produces fire, thermal and acoustic insulation, including fire-resistant glass, intumescent seals and door slab core materials. The ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO 14001: 2015 registered company provides a complete design, manufacture and processing service for fire-resistant products used to create fire-rated doorsets.
Find out more about Fire Door Safety Week
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