Feature


to raise fire safety standards in multi-occupancy buildings, by giving residents more power to hold responsible persons to account. The change is applicable for those residing in halls of accommodation at universities and comes to further combat a rise in incidents, of which in the past year, London firefighters attended 1,262 incidents at student halls in the capital9


Above all else,


circumstance of a fire, alone.


Under new guidance the RP is required to present residents with annual information covering the importance of fire doors and self-closing devices. Furthermore, residents are encouraged to raise any faults or damage to door sets immediately, helping to ensure maintenance is addressed quickly and professionally.


Ready for open doors


Equipped with newly released budgets, reduced building footfall and blessed with time, the summer break presents responsible persons with an opportunistic six-week period to review fire safety and assess the operation of fire doors and their hardware. And while no academic facility is the same, all are legally bound under British and European law10


to possess operational fire


door sets, which consist of: • Door furniture • Hinges • Locks and latches • Door closers • Signage • Exit devices


1: https://www.besa.org.uk/key-uk-education-statistics/


2: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/further-education/overview-of-the-uks-further-education-sector 3: https://www.statista.com/statistics/915603/universities-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ 4: https://www.firesafe.org.uk/how-to-combat-arson-in-schools/


5: https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/News/nfcc-reiterates-its-calls-for-schools-to-be-fitted-with-sprinklers 6: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/contents/made


7: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-educational-premises


8: https://firedoors.bwf.org.uk/latest-news/almost-a-third-of-those-responsible-for-fire-doors-do-not-understand-fire- door-responsibility-under-building-safety-act/


9: https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/2020-news/september/over-1200-cooking-related-fires-and-false-alarms-in-london- university-student-halls/


10: http://firecode.org.uk/Code_of_Practice_hardware_for_fire_and_escape_doors.pdf 11: https://www.allegion.co.uk/en/blogs/2018/fire-door-safety-the-ins-and-outs.html


fire doors must operate as intended. In the it’s critical that fire doors close


independently and all the way, and that hardware - including hinges, handles, door closers, locks and signage - is correctly installed and maintained. And so, when it comes to inspections, it is common practice to follow a stringent five-point check, where upon examination, a responsible person must review the certification, gaps, seals, hinges and the closing elements11 of a fire door, ensuring each element is functioning correctly.


Fires are extremely unpredictable and can begin in and out of learning hours. And when you consider that something as rudimental as an incorrect hinge can produce a life-threatening gap between the door and its frame, the need for regular maintenance periods is clear. The fleeting British summertime leaves a small - but manageable - window for the education sector to act, adding fire safety to their own curriculum before students return and begin their own courses in September.


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