The five videos have been released as part of Fire Door Safety Week 2018, which raises awareness about the vital role played by fire doors, educates the public about how to check whether fire doors are compliant and hold those responsible to account, and educates landlords and other responsible persons on how to properly specify, install and maintain fire doors.
Many of the roughly three million new fire doors bought and installed every year in the UK are badly made, fitted or maintained. Even those that are fully compliant are frequently wedged open – rendering them utterly useless in delaying the spread of smoke and fire.
The BRE (Building Research Establishment), a supporter of Fire Door Safety Week, allowed the BWF use of its facilities during filming.
“We’d like to thank BRE for its ongoing support, in allowing us to use its facilities for our filming.” said Hannah Mansell, spokesperson for Fire Door Safety Week and British Woodworking Federation (BWF) head of technical research and insight.
“We are delighted to be working in collaboration with a cross-section of the industry, to raise awareness of these life-saving messages around fire door safety as well as working to help raise standards to ensure the safety of building occupants and firefighters.”
Debbie Smith, managing director at BRE Global, said: “Fire safety within the design of a building is of critical importance and fire doors are an integral part of that. We at BRE are passionate about driving forward building safety and we are continually working with our stakeholders from across the built environment, such as the BWF and the Fire Door Alliance, to help improve technical knowledge and understanding to help deliver safer buildings for all.
“We fully support Fire Door Safety Week and encourage industry to get involved in helping to raise awareness of the critical role of fire doors and the need for improved industry standards and practice. The need for good installation and ongoing inspection and maintenance of fire doors is not well understood outside of the industry and this must change.”
BWF recently formed the Fire Door Alliance to support the BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme in raising the standard of fire doors installed in the UK. The scheme rigorously audits members – which must have third-party certification under either the BWF Certifire or Q-Mark schemes – related to strict traceability requirements, providing specifiers with the added security and confidence in the products being selected.
This film demonstrates the deadly speed with which smoke can spread, laden with toxins.
Anyone can do the 5-step check – whether it’s in the residential building in which they live, their place of work or a public building:
The check won’t replace a full inspection by a competent individual – but will reveal problems that need fixing.
How do we know that a fire door has been produced to a high standard and will effectively do its job in a fire?
In the UK, a manufacturer can simply self-certify that their fire doors comply with safety standards. But third party certification – where a fire door has undergone rigorous independent checks – is not yet mandatory. People should therefore check whether a fire door third-party certified, which guarantees a number of reassurances:
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Competent , such a word; when will it be backed up. We are recycling experts all the time yet lives and the public purse seem the only debitors. Time for real solutions.
Doors are only entry and exit site’s, buildings should be signed off by those that make profits from them and claim that they are acceptable to use. No more no less