Fire doors/glazing
fire doors, seals and glazing that can hold a fire back for one hour is quite simply life saving. And to install a fire door without the accompanying components to enable it to be effective is without doubt dangerous. Given that this is a product designed
to ultimately save lives, the Fire Door Inspection Scheme has released some very alarming statistics, as follows: • over 61% of fire doors inspected had problems with fire or smoke seals
• more than a third had incorrect signage
• 230 fire doors inspected had gaps bigger than 3mm between the door and its frame (as specified in BS 9999: 2008 and BS 8214: 2008)
• more than 20% had unsuitable hinges • almost one in six had damage to the door leaf
Increasing evidence is also surfacing on newly installed fire doors that are not being fitted in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions, or even in accordance with industry best practice. Furthermore, many possess no relevant fire test performance results. By choosing to work with certified component suppliers that can also provide relevant test evidence, the above statistics stand a chance of diminishing as we go forward. Such suppliers will also have a wealth of knowledge in this highly technical area, and know how to meet and indeed
exceed standards to the satisfaction of the regulatory authorities. Where installation is concerned, tools
such as BS 8214: Timber-based fire doors assemblies can help, as can specialist organisations – for example, the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), of which Pyroplex is a member. Responsible for the award winning awareness campaign Fire Door Safety Week, the BWF can supply invaluable resources such as the BWF-Certifire Installation Guide. It is imperative that construction companies
hire appropriately trained installers, as errors during installation can have catastrophic consequences. As an industry, we need to take steps to ensure that all installers and contractors involved in passive fire protection have the knowledge available to do the job properly.
How do seals work?
Understanding how a fire door seal works when it is under pressure from fire will highlight exactly why its installation is vital; the door itself is not fit for purpose without the right seal. All designated fire doors and smoke control door sets are in fact provided with an intumescent sealing system. When exposed to fire, intumescent seals will expand, generating high pressure and multiplying many times in volume, effectively
FOCUS
www.frmjournal.com MAY 2018
37
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