Fire Door Safety Week (FDSW) is a national campaign that aims to increase the public’s understanding of the crucial role that fire doors play in protecting lives and property. Unlike standards doors, fire doors provide passive protection by delaying the spread of fire and smoke throughout commercial, public and multiple occupancy buildings.
Fire Door Safety Week 2019
This year’s campaign highlights the role that fire doors play in protecting us while we sleep. Fire Door Safety Week 2019’s focus is therefore on fire doors within multiple-occupant housing and the safety of its tenants. The Grenfell Tower incident shone a light on the tragic impact poorly performing fire doors can have within residential tower blocks. As a result, the Government’s Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government requested that UK fire door manufacturers have their products tested (Ahmarra passed with flying colours). The results, which include a summary of this investigation were recently released, so FDSW’s focus is very timely.
To mark the start of the 2019 campaign, Fire Door Safety Week carried out their own research into fire safety concerns within care homes. To view an infographic of their findings, click here.
Fire Door Safety Checklist
Fire Door Safety Week emphasises that the campaign is not about pointing the finger, but acknowledging that fire safety is the responsibility of both building owners and users. The campaign wishes to highlight the importance of reporting a fire door if you think it may be faulty, and offer this basic five-step fire door safety checklist as a way of assessing whether it is fit for purpose;
- Look for labels or markings that show the door is third-party certified and has traceability back to the original manufacturer
- Check that the door is marked correctly with the appropriate signage and that it closes tightly against the frame
- Ensure that the door or frame has the fire and smoke seal, and that the door closes correctly with an even gap all around of about 3mm
- Check the fire-rated hinges are fitted firmly in the door and that there are no missing screws
- Make sure the door is not damaged or ever wedged or propped open
To download FDSW’s useful fire door safety checklist, click here.
The History of Fire Door Safety Week
Launched in 2013, the Fire Door Safety Week campaign is led by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), the BWF Fire Door Alliance (an evolution of the BWF CERTIFIRE Scheme) and the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS). These organisations advocate raising the industry’s benchmark for fire door manufacture, installation and maintenance, and encourage third-party certification as a means of ensuring doors meet critical performance standards. Although third-party certification isn’t compulsory in the UK and manufacturers can self-certify, Fire Door Safety Week strongly promote this as best practice and are lobbying to make it mandatory. Ahmarra also endorse third-party certification, and as such, are a certified member of the BM TRADA Q-Mark Fire Door Manufacture and Fire Door Installation schemes. Therefore, all of our fire doors and doorsets are produced and installed to the same specification approved by BM TRADA.
Fire Safety Training
In support of the campaign Vicki Boulton, our Marketing & Compliance Manager, will be running a series of safety training workshops for our specification and production teams, followed by a quiz. We’ll be welcoming our local Hampshire Fire and Rescue team who will be visiting our Portsmouth manufacturing facility, providing a valuable two-way learning opportunity. HOPPE will also be hosting a RIBA approved CPD session on the importance of the correct ironmongery on fire doors.
Architect CPD Sessions
Martyn Fennell, our Business Development Manager, will be hosting special CPD sessions for architects that focuses on the crucial role that fire doors play in the compartmentation and fire strategy within buildings. So, if you’re looking to increase your Architect CPD hours, please email; Martyn.Fennell@ahmarra.co.uk.
We will also be sharing the valuable advice and excellent resources provided throughout Fire Door Safety Week via our social media channels.
To learn more about Fire Door Safety Week, visit; www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk
