HEALTH, SAFETY & WELLBEING
OPENING THE DOOR TO IMPROVED SAFETY
Simon Castle from construction and refurbishment company, Chisholm & Winch, discusses the importance of compliant safety door installation.
The Government’s recent announcement of increased funding for remediation to buildings with combustible cladding has brought the issue of building safety - specifically fire safety - back to the news agenda. Not that it ever went away. Since the Grenfell tragedy in 2017, fire safety has been a priority in the specification process for new buildings.
But, as many of those commenting on the latest government response have pointed out, cladding is not the only issue when it comes to buildings’ fire safety. Nor is the topic of fire safety confined to residential buildings. There is a need to focus on delivering high standards of fire safety in both new and existing buildings across all types of properties to reduce the danger to life and risk to the asset in the event of a fire.
Why are fire doors so important? Fire doors play a key role and must always be installed and maintained by an accredited fire door contractor. They slow down the rate at which fire, smoke and heat can spread, allowing time for evacuation and limiting damage to the building and its contents.
Fire doors are rated by the amount of burn time they provide to protect people and assets on the opposite side of the door. Ratings may also include protection from the spread of smoke, insulation to protect occupiers for the spread of heat, and stability to indicate resistance to collapse due to heat. Of all these indicate how well fire doors will uphold the building’s compartmentation.
All fire doors must be specially manufactured, tested and certified. It is the core that does all the hard work but a variety of attractive styles and finishes are available. If the door has not been correctly installed, however, the integrity of the fire-rating will be compromised.
Certified skills and quality assurance Correct installation and regular maintenance of fire doors are essential. An accredited fire door installer can help with product selection, sourcing doors that match both the aesthetic and the fire safety strategy for the building. The level of fire rating required may vary for different areas of the building, depending on factors such as the number of storeys above ground, proximity to stairs and occupancy levels. It’s important that the doors chosen meet fire safety requirements without incurring unnecessary additional costs due to over-specification.
There are a number of fire door installation certification bodies. Chisholm & Winch is a BMTRADA certified
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contractor, which means that all our installations are certified under the BMTRADA Q-Mark Fire Door Installation Scheme, which not only ensures the installation team is suitably trained and qualified, but also that their competence is continually assessed by an independent body.
Amongst the skills required for safe fire door installation is the correct use of fire mastic around the door frame and the use of intumescent foam to seal any air gaps around locks and hinges. The priority is to create a fireproof barrier that works with the fabric of the fire door to seal door openings against the spread of fire.
Often, installation of electronic door opening and locking systems, which are programmed into the fire detection and alarm system is included. This locks specific fire doors automatically, aligned to the fire alarm zone triggered, ensuring effective protection during evacuation.
Inspection and maintenance Routine inspections and maintenance are just as important for door sets as they are for fire extinguishers and alarms. By working with an accredited installer on the routine maintenance, FMs can identify and rectify any issues, which not only ticks the box for compliance, but makes the building safer for all users too.
www.chisholmandwinch.co.uk/ twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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