Safety & Security
The five steps to improved fire safety
T
he housing sector continues to adapt to a raſt of new guidance, statutory tightening and regulatory change associated to fire
safety. As a result, leading door manufacturer JELD-WEN UK has released a new CPD resource, to support the industry’s understanding of doorsets and the steps required to improve fire safety standards. Here, Ruth Deardon, UK Product Line Manager
at JELD-WEN, outlines why there is a need to go beyond current compliance, and how stakeholders throughout a project lifecycle can work together to deliver better – and safer – outcomes.
IGNITING CHANGE Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, we have seen a number of important step changes in guidance and legislation in relation to fire safety, with the aim to improve standards and build reassurance for tenants as part of a longer-term regulatory overhaul, which many would argue was long overdue. Te most recent change was the introduction of
the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which came into force on 23 January 2023 and imposes regular, legally-mandated checks on millions of fire doors. Although more robust legislation is a
welcome step towards absolute best practice, there is still a need for the industry to go beyond compliance and strive for even higher standards in fire safety. JELD-WEN’s recent white paper, ‘Fire Safety:
Time to Shut the Door on Risk’, explored the ways in which tenants can be better protected, with suggested measures that could improve fire safety standards beyond the current compliance, including:
• A legal requirement for all fire door installations and maintenance work to be conducted by qualified installers, validated through a UKAS-accredited certification scheme.
• A mandatory standard which outlines how fire door information should be stored, updated and shared in an easily accessible digital format.
• A legal requirement to mark every fire door in the UK with its performance and the name of the manufacturer.
In support of this, JELD-WEN has launched
a newly-accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) resource: ‘Five things to look for in fire doorsets to improve long term fire safety’. Te resource is designed to equip housing
sector professionals with further knowledge around fire doorsets – which are oſten the
first line of defence against fire risk – and how doorset manufacturers can provide support in understanding legal requirements, technical expertise, and product value.
NAVIGATING FIRE SAFETY A fire door is one of the most critical components of limiting the spread of fire through communal buildings, and, ultimately, can help to save lives. Tere is a shared responsibility throughout a
project’s lifecycle to ensure the safety of a property, and the occupiers within it. However, a lack of understanding around the latest products and protocols can leave homes vulnerable to risk. JELD-WEN recently conducted research of
housing associations and social housing landlords, which reported challenges in delivering high quality fire safety in multi-occupancy properties. According to our survey, nine in 10 respondents had an inspection on internal fire doors in the last two years, with 50% finding a flaw. Tese include poorly fitted doors, damage to door closers and hardware improvements required. Our new CPD resource aims to help address this
issue, outlining five key areas of importance when procuring and using fire doorsets:
1. Product testing – ensuring current standards are met
2. Doorset accessories – choosing the correct hardware
3. Tird-party accreditation – demonstrating compliance and performance consistency
4. Product traceability – engaging manufacturers to implement the ‘Golden Tread’
46 | HMMAugust/September 2023 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk HMM08_Jeld-Wen_Safety & Security - Smoke & Fire Protection_Full Page
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5. Whole-life considerations – ensuring installation doesn’t compromise fire safety
HITTING THE STANDARD As one of the UK’s largest door manufacturers, JELD-WEN offers a wide range of certified doorsets, which meet rigorous independent standards in testing, auditing and accreditation. JELD-WEN’s SecureSET doorsets are dual tested
and certified to provide 30-minute fire, smoke protection and security protection as listed under the CertiSecure (CS5059) and Certifire (CF5965) certification schemes, as well as full compliance with BS 476-22 (fire), BS 476-31 (smoke), PAS24 (enhanced security) and Approved Documents M, B, E, L and Q. By ensuring our products meet these high
standards, customers can have confidence that they will perform as needed – with complete clarity on design, manufacture and documentation. However, it’s equally important for stakeholders
across the sector to equip themselves with the knowledge and expertise they need to not only meet current compliance, but exceed it. Now’s the time for all housing sector professionals to go the extra mile for fire safety, and ensure they are firmly shutting the door on risk. To find out more about JELD-WEN’s fire
doorset CPD seminar: ‘Five things to look for in fire doorsets to improve long term fire safety’, please visit the website.
0345 122 2891
www.jeld-wen.co.uk/advice/cpd-training
17/08/2023 09:36
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