IFSEC Global hears from the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) who reflect on their past 12 months and plans for 2023.
2022 got off to a ‘tremendous’ start for the federation with the announcement of new Chairman, Paul Browne. The former ASSA ABLOY UK Chief Technology Officer & Business Development Director has been involved with DHF since 2006 and on the board since 2007.
“Paul’s support and guidance over the past year have been invaluable and with a challenging year ahead, we’re facing 2023 with great positivity with Paul at the helm,” says DHF’s Head of Commercial Operations, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens.
The beginning of the year also saw the launch of DHF’s garage door safety video for members and consumers, the first time the federation has produced such a video, but it has enabled DHF to reach a much wider audience and aimed to educate the consumer to what they should be looking for as standard when selecting a new garage door, and about the safety feature known as hold-to-run.
The launch of a series of new Technical Specifications: DHF TS 013 parts one, two and three this year, has combined the information on the safety of industrial and domestic garage doors, as well as powered gates and traffic barriers, with parts one and two of the series replacing the separate guidance previously issued for gates (TS 011) and industrial & garage doors (TS 012) and part three being a guidance for owners and managers of these products.
Throughout the year, DHF has aimed to maintain its position as the ‘go to centre of excellence’ for advice and training pertaining to raising the standards. For example, it was present once again at this year’s Fit Show and remains a long-standing supporter of its objectives. Chair of the DHF Timber Doorset Group, Fiona Critchley, presented The presentation on Standards & Legislation Affecting Flat Entrance Doorsets as part of the education programme. In addition, in April, DHF offered guidance on the CSCS card scheme, how to obtain one, and its important role in promoting safety and best practice for those working with industrial doors, domestic garage doors, automated gates & traffic barriers and metal or timber doors.
Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens, DHF’s Head of Commercial Operations
“DHF continues to drive standards in ensuring that construction site workers are appropriately trained. After creating a joint venture with Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) called Entrance Systems Alliance (ESA), we now offer the industry specific NVQ. In this way, we are playing our part in improving safety on UK construction sites,” said Patricia.
In reacting to the White Paper on Construction Products Competence (CPC), DHF also ‘welcomed’ the proposals in ensuring that the built environment is safe, and that the modern workforce can meet their duties relating to construction products by placing compliance and competence as priority.
Training has been at the ‘very heart’ of the trade association’s activity (both face-to-face and online), and this year, according to DHF, they have helped ‘almost 1000’ learners with training, 91% being members of the federation. In 2023, DHF plan to fill other training gaps by expanding its training offering to include other door types (not just fire doors), and also continue to offer free training webinars and seminars to members to help further the knowledge within the automated gate and industrial and garage door industries.
Since July, DHF has held two free per month covering such subjects as Construction Products Regulation (CPR) Tests and certification, fall-back protection, force limitation, compliance assessments of vertical doors and horizontal doors & gates, UKCA Marking & System and AVCP 3 type testing under the CPR. In May, DHF announced it will be taking its training ‘international’, with two-day courses available to those in the Republic of Ireland.
In 2022, DHF voiced its support for Fire Door Safety Week and its objectives; it remains a ‘long-standing champion’ for the critical role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property. Mid-year, the federation welcomed the announcement that cladding of the type used on Grenfell Tower is to be banned from use on any building in England, as well as welcoming the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, that come into effect on 23rd January 2023, whereby flat entrance fire doors are subject to annual checks and those in the common parts of High-Risk Residential Buildings (HRRB), require quarterly checks.
It has also supported the eighth Gate Safety Month, held in October, the safety campaign that it started in 2014 to promote the continued safe installation, repair, and maintenance of automated gates. It marked this by offering an upgrade of its second day of the 2-day Level 2 Award in Safety and Level 4 Award in Legislation combined training course to free accreditation.
This was followed by the release of DHF’s ‘seven deadly sins of automated gates’, an information piece penned by DHF’s Senior Training & Compliance Officer, Nick Perkins, covering the most pertinent reasons as to why automated gates can cause injury or death, as well as how to prevent this.
“Initially ‘gate safety week’, the campaign was re-named ‘gate safety month’ thereafter and has become a year-round campaign aimed at creating awareness and educating both the public and industry professionals on the dangers of poor installation and maintenance, as well as to spot an unsafe gate,” explains Patricia. “DHF remains the go to expert on the dangers centred around poorly installed and maintained powered gates.
“In this, our 125th anniversary year, we have much to celebrate, and much to look forward to and it has never been a better time to celebrate the organisation’s history, heritage, vision, traditions and values.” says Patricia. “We continue to serve the needs of our more than 500 members and have done so since 1897. And despite the prediction of a tumultuous year, we face 2023 with great hope and optimism.”
Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.
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