The dhf (Door & Hardware Federation) has welcomed recommendations made in the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’s Interim Report, published on 18 December, and particularly that those working on the design, construction, inspection, and maintenance of complex and high-risk buildings are suitably qualified.
“We fully support the proposals presented by this report, particularly pertaining to appropriate qualification of those responsible for manufacture, installation, repair, and maintenance,” says dhf’s CEO, Bob Perry. “The issue of competence is crucial to fire doors, as to many other systems within the building. In the case of fire doors, however, the system is uniquely vulnerable to damage caused by use and abuse. This necessitates a high level of maintenance activity, which must be continually undertaken throughout the building’s lifetime, not solely during the construction phase or major refurbishment. We would like to see these four elements become mandatory.”
In November, the dhf stressed the importance of compartmentation, and called for urgent change in building regulations, with a mandatory requirement for all fire doors to be factory prepared doorsets. Michael Skelding, dhf general manager, added: “We propose that any fire or smoke-resistant door be a factoryprepared doorset, manufactured under a UKAS-accredited third-party certification scheme. Installation and maintenance should be undertaken only by companies thus certified.”
