Fire door understanding must continue to improve

Raising awareness of the critical role of fire doors and their components, including testing and certification, regulations and standards is needed.

That’s the view of Mike Sutcliffe, Business Development Manager at Vanquish Hardware Protection.

With Fire Door Safety Week set to take place from October 31^st, Mike says more understanding is needed to make sure a fire door performs as intended.

“Five years after the Grenfell tragedy, the construction industry has made a concerted effort to improve manufacturing and compliance throughout the supply chain to ensure consistent and high performance to the expected standards,” said Mike.

“There is a greater understanding of fire doors, their components and hardware protection which has meant an increase in requests for third-party evidence, traceability and a Field of Application to prove the suitability of materials and a much greater sense of responsibility and caution when specifying and using them on buildings.

“News earlier in the year from the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) that three quarters of the fire doors inspected in the UK by its approved inspectors did not meet the required standard, due to improper installation, including excessive gaps between the door and the frame, care and maintenance issues, and issues over smoke sealing, however, shows more needs to be done.”

Launched in 2013 in response to a legacy of fire door neglect, Fire Door Safety Week is a campaign to increase public understanding of the vital role that fire doors play, managed by the British Woodworking Federation and supported by several partners, including the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign, the National Fire Chief’s Council and London Fire Brigade.

“Fire doors are not ordinary doors; they are a carefully engineered fire safety device that can be the difference between life and death,” added Mike.

“Everyone in the supply chain plays their part in ensuring a fire door performs as it should and raising awareness and understanding is still needed, which is why Fire Door Safety Week is so important.”

Boasting 30 years combined expertise in the industry, Vanquish is the leading UK manufacturer of precision Intumescent kits for rebated hardware in timber fire door assemblies. Earlier this year the Salisbury-based company introduced its new, industry first, third party certification, for both its hardware protection products – FlexiFire® graphite-based and Fire Protectors phosphate-based intumescent.

To find out more, visit www.vanquish-hp.co.uk or call 01725 578020.