NEWS & APPOINTMENTS Fire doors – what you don’t know
Do you know how many fire doors your business has? According to a 2022 survey by Peninsula, one-quarter of businesses don’t actually know…
Gavin Scarr Hall, health & safety director at Peninsula, says: “Fire doors are your first line of defence so it’s worrying to see that so many organisations don’t even know how many fire doors they have within their premises. Without this starting point, it’s
nigh on impossible to be able to carry out sufficient and regular checks to ensure they are all functioning correctly. “Fire doors save lives and are a vital part of construction, as a legal requirement in all non- domestic properties, such as businesses, commercial premises, and public buildings. “When they don’t function properly though, it’s difficult to stop the spread should a fire
break out, and ultimately, lives are in danger. “And worryingly, the number of fire doors that are not up to scratch is estimated to be
around 85% across the UK. “Having fire doors in place might be legally required in certain buildings, but it’s ultimately down to the building owners and employers to take responsibility to ensure their employees and building users are safe under the Fire Safety Order (FSO). The order also states that a nominated “responsible person” must be instated who will be held responsible if they do not fulfil their duties.”
In a survey of councils and NHS Trusts, carried out by Peninsula, it was found that the main reasons their fire doors fail inspection are:
• Damage to intumescent strip (most common) • Impact damage • Issues with gaps and door closers • Readjusting the hang of the doors
Gavin Scarr Hall warns that these issues, although common, can all contribute to a fire door not functioning effectively and should be resolved as soon as possible. He said: “A fire door works by having intumescent strips that activate and expand when exposed to heat. This enables a barrier to stop the spread of flames and smoke, and provide a means of escape, usually for either 30 or 60 minutes, depending on the type of door. Therefore, it’s crucial that the gaps between the door and the frame always sit between 2mm-4mm to ensure the strips can do their job.
“Impact damage and wear and tear can knock the alignment of the door, making it faulty, so it’s crucial that frequent checks are carried out. “Best practice suggests every that fire doors should be checked every six months by a
professional, but busier buildings should aim for quarterly checks. “I would also recommend employers to carry out their own quick five-minute, five-step checks on a weekly basis, asking:
• Is the door missing an official certification label? • Is the space around the door bigger than the width of a pound coin? • Is the seal around the door faulty or damaged? • Are any of the hinges loose or missing screws?
Is the door unable to close firmly on to the latch without sticking to the floor or frame? “If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, then employers will need to instruct a licensed profession to conduct an immediate PAS79 Fire Risk Assessment to ensure the safety of everyone in the workplace.”
Appointments
Senior appointment for Haier Europe HVAC
Deane Flint has been appointed head of Northern Europe for Haier Europe HVAC, a global specialist in comfort cooling offering residential, commercial and applied air conditioning solutions. Deane is a familiar face in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry having formerly been employed as UK managing director of Mitsubishi Electric and commercial director of Coolair Equipment. In his new role with Haier Europe HVAC based in the UK he will work closely with the company’s country managers and their distributors to extend the customer base. He said: “I’m delighted to be joining Haier Europe HVAC – an agile, fast-paced company open to new ideas. These are exciting times for the industry and Haier has a fantastic range of energy-saving products to offer the market.” Appointment to spearhead offsite solutions for commercial customers Baxi has appointed Tony Falconar to the role of national sales manager to spearhead
the growth of its Baxi Packaged Solutions business and ensure a compelling customer proposition for contractors, specifiers and end-users. The business, previously known as Packaged Plant Solutions, is a specialist in designing and building prefabricated modular heating systems, working with customers from concept to completion.
Mr Falconar joins the business at a time when there is renewed interest in offsite solutions from customers. He said: “Organisations are looking to decarbonise and will find a prefabricated solution attractive because of its lower environmental impact and the fact it can easily be slotted in to replace their existing heating system.
“Contractors also like offsite solutions because they can focus on their development knowing that the heating solution is being manufactured elsewhere and delivered to them as a plug-and-play solution.”
New face on Viessmann leadership team
Viessmann has appointed Chris Johnson as UK director of sales, based at the company’s Telford headquarters. Chris will oversee Viessmann’s complete UK sales operation, covering domestic and commercial sales of all products and services within the company’s Climate Solutions division. Chris has previously held sales and business development leadership positions at Vaillant, Stiebel Eltron and Plumbing Trade Supplies (PTS). With his most recent role as National Sales Director – Heat Pumps & Renewables at Vaillant, he brings highly relevant experience as Viessmann expands and grows its penetration of the heat pump market with its Vitocal range of heat pumps. He said: “Joining Viessmann at a pivotal point in its accelerated active transition
towards renewable solutions and supporting the UK team to reshape the customer proposition are opportunities I’m very excited to deliver on.”
Government open letter is first step to hydrogen town
The government is inviting the development of plans for a potential first hydrogen heated town from Gas Distribution Network Operators (GDNs). In an open letter, the Government invited Gas Distribution Network (GDN) Operators to propose outline planning projects for areas of their gas networks which would potentially be suitable for early conversion to hydrogen.
This work will contribute to development of plans for a possible pilot hydrogen heated town by 2030, one of the milestones in the government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. The letter provides guidance to the gas network operators on what should be included in outline plans, and how to apply for funding from BEIS to contribute to the costs of developing them. As set out in the Heat and Buildings Strategy, the government will make
strategic decisions in 2026 about the role of hydrogen in heating. To inform those decisions the government is working with GDNs and others on a wide range of R&D, testing and trials projects, to assess the feasibility, costs and benefits of using low carbon hydrogen for heating in place of natural gas. Planning work is required now to deliver plans by 2025 for a possible pilot hydrogen town, so that, should hydrogen become part of our decarbonisation pathway in 2026, we are well prepared to begin roll out. The open letter is the first step towards planning for the hydrogen town trial, with a pilot location for the trial set to be chosen at a later stage. Find more information on the open letter
here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/hydrogen-heating-town-pilot- open-letter-to-gas-distribution-networks
4 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DECEMBER 2022
New area sales manager at ATAG
ATAG Commercial has appointed Peter Collins as area sales manager for Scotland, where he will be advocating the advantages of the company’s high efficiency boilers to contractors, merchants and installers alike. He will also be strengthening key relationships with engineers and distributors, in order to bolster the company’s market share in Scotland.
Peter has over 30 years of experience in the heating and plumbing industry. He has worked in a variety of roles, including serving his time on the tools as a gas installer, as well as a cosulting engineer and, more recently, in sales – each helping him earn his spurs as an expert in commercial heating technology. Upon taking his new role, Peter said: “I’m delighted to be joining the ATAG Commercial team in Scotland during such an exciting phase of its development. I’m passionate about decarbonisation in both the public and private sectors – plus I love working on projects in our many historic buildings. ATAG Commercial’s product portfolio is second-to-none, so I’m looking forward to raising awareness of the brand among a wider audience.”
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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