In an unprecedented
collaboration within the fire and security industry, three not-for-profit
organisations with expertise in fire and security doorsets have combined their
knowledge to offer guidance on a newly-published document on flat entrance
doorsets.
The joint
publication: A Guide for Selecting Flat Entrance Doorsets; A publication for
housing associations, landlords, building owners and local authorities in
England, relates to new doorsets and is the product of DHF (Door & Hardware
Federation), Secured by Design (SBD) and the Fire Industry Association (FIA).
The publication
brings together the best collaborative advice available from the industry in
one straightforward document to highlight the fundamental issues of fire safety
and security for those selecting fire doorsets.
Importantly, the
publication makes the point that there is no conflict between fire and security
with Building Regulations ADB (fire) and ADQ (security) carrying equal weight
with neither taking precedence over the other. It explains why only factory
produced doorsets can meet both ADB and ADQ.
Specifiers can have
confidence in using the publication as an authoritative source of information
as they are guided through the complexities of an extremely important area of
Building Regulations to help them make informed choices.
The publication,
which can be downloaded from any of the co-operating organisations websites,
comes in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy and in response to the
Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Governments’ (MHCLG) Implementation
Plan – ‘Building a Safer Future’, released at the end of December
2018.
This new guidance
document, which launched in March of this year, recommends that all fire
doorsets are factory-prepared (as opposed to prepared on-site), and
furthermore, audited by a third-party. It is suggested these
recommendations will offer greater assurance on door performance and protect
occupants, control the spread of fire and enable safer, easier escape in the
event of an incident.
“We are delighted to
have collaborated with SBD and FIA, in sharing our joint expertise on doorsets
and fire safety,” explains DHF’s CEO, Bob Perry. “It seemed a natural
partnership to come together and offer guidance on what to look for in a flat
entrance doorset, how this relates to the latest advice supplied by Government
(MHCLG) and why third-party certification of fire and security doorset
manufacture, installation and maintenance is a critical part of the protection
against fire ingress and
unlawful entry.
“Third party
certification of manufacture, installation, maintenance and inspection of fire,
smoke and security doors is something DHF has lobbied for tirelessly, as well
as issues surrounding poorly or ill-fitting door closers,” he continues.
“These form a vital part of fire safety.”
FIA’s CEO, Ian
Moore, says: “We are very pleased to work with DHF and Secured by Design in
producing a guidance document to assist housing associations, landlords,
building owners and local authorities on what to look for in a new flat
entrance doorset and why third-party certification of fire doorset manufacture,
installation and maintenance is a critical part of fire protection. This
underlines the Fire Industry Association’s objective to improve and perfect
fire protection work and builds on MHCLG guidance within the Government’s
building safety programme. It is worth noting that although this document
is specific to England and Wales, it is also useful information for Northern
Ireland and Scotland.”
Chief Operating
Officer of Secured by Design, Jon Cole, emphasised how important it is for the
three organisations to work together to provide a holistic overview: “For many
years, we have worked closely with national and local government,
manufacturers, trade associations and standards authorities at home and abroad
to establish effective security standards in the building and construction
industry. We insist on United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited
independent, third-party certification to provide product control and to ensure
that specification and quality is maintained over time.”
“Third party
certification, by suitably qualified bodies, has certainly delivered
consistency and quality within the security sector. This is why we have
campaigned for flat entrance doorsets to have dual certification, meeting all
the relevant requirements for security and fire resistance in a single combined
design specification. We believe that certification remains the best and
only way to assure that effective quality products are delivered to market,
providing additional assurance of performance .”
