Fire Door Safety Week Closing the compliance gap
The findings from the latest HMM white paper provides insight into the changing landscape for fire safety in social housing, and although compliance levels are increasing, there are still significant failings that need to be addressed to ensure compliant fire and life safety solutions are in place and maintained across the sector. In this article Mark Alton, Fire Product Manager at Winkhaus UK, looks at the gaps the research has highlighted for fire doorsets, advising the corrective actions required for social housing providers to create and implement a compliant fire strategy
WHAT DEFINES A “BETTER” FIRE SAFETY PRODUCT TO YOU? Te research responses suggest that “better fire safety products” are chosen based on their longevity and that they should come from trusted brands, with no mention of their performance or evidence of their compliance. Te changes in legislation have been created
to help us define what a better fire product is, it’s a compliant product and don’t just take the manufactures word for it, ensure it is verified by an independent body. Te introduction of 3rd party certification across the lifecycle of fire doorset was one of the best ways of demonstrating due diligence has been fulfilled. For responsible persons and tenants, this provides confidence in the information provided and peace of mind that a compliant solution is being specified, manufactured, installed and maintained.
UKAS accredited 3rd Party auditing is not just
required to verify test data for fire doors, but best practice to demonstrate compliance. All these stages within the Golden Tread refer to the original Design and Test evidence, ensuring the correct components are being used to make and maintain a door.
MAINTAINING EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE To ensure continued performance and compliance post installation and handover, fire doorsets require regular fire assessment or inspection. Te research shows an average of one annual fire assessment being completed, however in our specific question on maintenance and inspection, we see only 51% of respondents scheduling annual inspection for flat entrance doors and the required quarterly inspections for communal/external fire doorsets, meaning this
schedule is not in place for almost half the fire doorsets captured in this survey. Te original design and test evidence for a fire doorset becomes the golden thread of evidence that must be maintained throughout the lifecycle of a fire doorset. Scheduled inspection is there to ensure the golden thread is maintained and if remedial maintenance is required, it is completed in accordance with the original design and test evidence for the fire doorset. Tis reduces ongoing replacement costs for providers, as if the thread is broken by not inspecting and maintaining, the fire doorset will need to be replaced.
HOW DO WE CLOSE THE GAP IN COMPLIANCE? Understanding and challenging the barriers for compliance requires a wider debate within our sector in order to increase the importance of fire safety in the long list of other priorities social housing providers must juggle within their budgets and available funding. What can be controlled is the internal processes
that need to be created and implemented to ensure compliance with legislation and that they then become common practice. From the survey findings these are three take aways we advise those who are not currently compliant implement: • Ensure your fire doorset specifications cover the whole lifecycle of a fire doorset and that they ensure the original design and test evidence is maintained.
• Seek 3rd Party verification from providers that they have ongoing capability to manufacture, install and maintain the solutions they propose, in line with the original design and test evidence.
• Risk assess and maintain your fire doorsets to
reduce replacement costs, maintaining your evidence of compliance and performance.
WINKHAUS SUPPORT Creating compliant fire doorset specifications can be challenging for specifiers especially with the number and significance of changes in recent years. To support specifiers, we have created a series of checklists to simplify these changes, we offer support for specifiers in creation of their specifications and training to support their fire compliance journey. For further information on how we can help
What defines a “better” fire safety product to you? HMM08_Winkhaus_DPS
Adv.indd 2
with your specifications, to request copies of our checklists, for information on the new ranges
36 | HMMAugust/September 2024 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk 16/08/2024 12:42
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