Fire Door Safety Week 31 October – 4 November 2022

08/31/2022 |

Fire Door Safety Week, 31 October - 4 November 2022

Fire Door Safety Week aims to raise the awareness of the critical role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property in the unfortunate event of a fire. Make Time to Save Lives.

The issues around fire door safety don’t just exist in high rise, high risk buildings. They are prevalent in pretty much any sector and building type that you think of, from care homes and hospitals to schools and specialist housing.

Launched in 2013 in response to a legacy of fire door neglect, Fire Door Safety Week is a ‘mass market’ awareness campaign to increase public understanding of the vital role that fire doors play in protecting life and property. The campaign is managed by the British Woodworking Federation and is supported by a number of partners, including the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign, the National Fire Chief’s Council and London Fire Brigade.

It’s crucial to understand the factors that ensure a fire door performs as intended – product manufacture, quality, installation and maintenance all play a part. Their correct specification, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants, as can their use. Propping a fire door open means that they won’t perform as they should in the event of a fire.

Everyone plays their part in ensuring a fire door performs as it should, from the manufacturer through to the building users, and this is why the annual Fire Door Safety Week campaign exists.

RES will publish a number of articles during Fire Door Safety week to support this campaign.

For more info goto https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/

Article Updated 20/10/22

HELPING TO STAMP OUT A LEGACY OF FIRE DOOR NEGLECT

FPA DEVELOPS NEW FIRE COMPARTMENTATION AND DOOR SURVEY TECHNOLOGY

07/08/2022 |

FPA DEVELOPS NEW FIRE COMPARTMENTATION AND DOOR SURVEY TECHNOLOGY

The FPA’s expert surveyors have been conducting comprehensive, non-destructive fire compartmentation surveys and delivering detailed reports for several years. We are delighted to announce that we have recently developed new technology to significantly improve the outputs for our customers.

New technology benefits

Using a tablet device, our software application enables our surveyors to upload building floor plans which are used to describe the compartmentation strategy, and identify the location of each fire door and any identified compartmentation issue/breach. Each issue is given a unique ID number on the drawing which corresponds with the digital survey report. A RAG rating is also included to enable the prioritisation of remedial works.

This technology enables us to produce a clear, concise, comprehensive digital report which links any identified issues to the location on the building floor plans. Annotated drawings are provided in AutoCAD and pdf formats and the report is produced in a useable format so that clients can filter, extract, and import data into their own systems.

Our compartmentation survey outputs comprise:

  • > annotated plans of each building floor showing the lines of compartmentation
  • > details of each compartmentation breach, hole, and imperfection identified with suggested repair detail
  • > a thorough review of all elements of each fire door and remedial actions described using the BM TRADA Accepted Repair Techniques
  • > actual or expected damper locations
  • > any obvious fire hazards or risks
  • > rough order costs for each issue (if required).

This new technology can also be used to carry out fire door inspection surveys as a discrete activity.

FPA Director of Operations and Principal Consultant, Howard Passey said: “We’re really pleased to have reinvigorated the way in which we carry out our compartmentation surveys and fire door inspections through the development of this technology. It offers considerable improvements for our clients as it makes the process of carrying out the surveys quicker, and therefore more cost effective. The outputs are also more comprehensive and more user friendly, and I look forward to our clients reaping the benefits.”

Find out more about our new compartmentation survey and fire door inspection technology.

Article originally published by the Fire Protection Association, FPA Media, 6 July 2022 © COPYRIGHT THE FPA 2022

RES are members of the FPA

The Importance of Regular Fire Safety Inspections and Maintenance – October 2021

10/12/2021 |

It is vitally important to regularly inspect and maintain your buildings fire safety equipment. As a business owner, you are responsible for the safety of your building, employees and visitors. This includes the provision of adequate fire safety equipment and systems throughout the building. With more and more businesses returning to the office, it is essential to check that your fire safety equipment is regularly inspected.

Fire Extinguishers­

Fire Extinguishers need to be inspected and maintained by a competent person once a year in accordance with BS 5306. During these thorough checks your extinguisher is serviced and any necessary repairs are carried out or a replacement is recommended. A basic service would include checking it is in date, hasn’t been tampered with, is in good working order, is the correct weight and pressure and has the correct signage and positioning.

BS5306 recommends that fire extinguishers are tested by discharge every five years (water foam and powder) and refilled or replaced, and every ten years (CO2).  CO2 bottles are hydraulically tested at the ten year point, or the extinguisher is replaced.

It is also a requirement to keep a record of all servicing, maintenance and inspections of fire extinguishers.

Outside of the annual inspections, the responsible person for the premises should ensure that a visual inspection is carried out on all fire extinguishers monthly as follows;

    • – Check that the extinguishers are in the correct location
    • – Check that the anti-tamper seals are not missing
    • – Check the pressure gauge is in the green section
    • – Check for any damage to the extinguishers
    • – Confirm the operating instructions are legible
    • – Ensure the extinguishers not obstructed and are visible

RES extinguisher engineers are BAFE accredited (BAFE BS 5306 Part 3- Portable Extinguisher Maintenance).

Fire Alarms

British Standard: BS 5839 recommends any installed fire alarm system in your premises be maintained by a competent person at least twice a year. This includes detectors, call points and panels. A competent person is someone who has sufficient technical knowledge, understands the different types of fire alarms and how they work, is familiar with the makes and models, and has a good understanding of the legal requirements including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO/FSO) and the BS 5839.

Routine fire alarm maintenance checks should be carried out by a competent person and include the following:

    • – Control panels
    • – Devices (sensors and detectors)
    • – Call points
    • – Voice alarms
    • – Batteries
    • – Reporting (Log book entry is a requirement)

RES provide fire alarm regular checks, servicing and maintenance. RES fire alarm engineers are BAFE accredited to BAFE SP203 – Fire Detection and Alarm System Modular Scheme SP203 – Part 1.

Emergency Lighting

Emergency Lighting is covered by BS EN 50172 / BS 5266-8 which provides guidance on the minimum level of testing dependant on the type of site you operate. Your responsible person should oversee the appropriate schedule.

Testing is as follows:

Monthly – Test all emergency lighting systems and ensure all luminaries and signs illuminate and are clean and present. A quick flick test is adequate.

Annually – To check that the lights remain illuminated for their full rated duration.

For safety reasons, the standards advise that the emergency lighting testing should be carried out at times of least risk to the buildings occupants or if possible, when the premises are unoccupied or in unoccupied portions of those premises.

RES provide Emergency Lighting Inspection and Testing, Fault Finding, Repairs and Regular Checks

RES fire alarm engineers are BAFE accredited to BAFE SP203 – Fire Detection and Alarm System Modular Scheme SP203 – Part 1.

Passive Fire Protection – Fire Doors

It is good practice to regularly inspect that your fire doors function correctly and that it will perform to its designed standard. Fire doors where traffic is high are more likely to be damaged and should be checked once a week/month (dependent on usage) by the responsible person for the property.

Periodic checks should be carried out every six months. Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO/FSO) makes it a legal requirement to ensure that fire resisting doors and escape doors are correctly installed and adequately maintained in order for them to be fit for purpose.

RES passive engineers are FIRAS Certified for Fire Door Maintenance.

Passive Fire Protection – Fire Stopping

According to FIRAS, fire protection measures can be degraded over time and it is the legal responsibility of the Responsible Person that the fire protection be adequately maintained. It is the responsibility of the responsible person to ensure that regular inspection takes place. Fire stopping is the compartmentation of a building bounded by fire resisting elements such as walls, floors and ceilings. Fire resisting elements are used around cables, pipes and ventilation systems.

We recommend your fire stopping is inspected every six months.

RES passive engineers are FIRAS Certified for Penetration Sealing (Fire Stopping).

Smoke Control / Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs)

Smoke vents have moving parts such as struts, hinges, pistons and actuators which remain stationary for long periods of time. As a result these systems can be prone to failure or fault. These systems should be regularly checked and subject to two maintenance visits per year to ensure they operate correctly.

RES undertake the servicing and maintenance of Smoke Control / Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs).

Dry Risers

BS 9990 requires that Dry Riser systems to undergo an annual static pressure test and inspection and a six monthly visual inspection, by a competent person. This ensures that the Dry riser system is maintained and functioning correctly for the fire brigade at all times.

RES can undertake dry riser servicing, testing and maintenance.

Fire Hydrants

BS 9990 requires that private fire hydrants to undergo an annual test and inspection and a six monthly inspection by a competent person to ensure the hydrant remains ready and in a working condition for brigade use. The Responsible Person should make periodical inspections of all Hydrants on a weekly and or a monthly basis.

Contact RES for ALL your Servicing, Testing and Maintenance needs.

This article is for general guidance only, please get in touch if you need assistance

Fire Door Safety Week 2021

08/25/2021 |

Fire Door Safety Week  – 20-26 September 2021

Each year, the British Woodworking Federation run a campaign to raise awareness of the critical role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property.

To support this, RES aim to share a number information on the subject via Twitter, Linked-in and Facebook during the week of 20th September 2021.

RES provide a comprehensive Fire Door Installation and Fire Door Inspection and Maintenance service  to our customers.

For more information on the campaign please visit

https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/FDSafetyWeek

And keep an eye out on the RES twitter feed

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Fire Door Safety Week – 21- 27 September 2020

09/07/2020 |

Fire Door Safety Week – 21- 27 September 2020

RES are once again supporting Fire Door Safety Week by helping to spread the word on the importance of correctly fitted and maintained Fire Doors.

Everyone can play their part in ensuring a fire door performs as it should, from the manufacturer through to the building users, and this is why the annual Fire Door Safety Week campaign exists.

During the event week we aim to post articles and information in support of our Fire Door services:

  • Fire Door Installation
  • Fire Door Inspections and Maintenance
  • Fire Door Repairs
  • Fire Door Guidance, Advice and Training

For more information about Fire Door Safety Week

https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/FDSafetyWeek

https://resfire.co.uk/fire-doors-london-reading/

#FIREDOORSAFETYWEEK

Fire Door Safety Week – 23-29 September 2019

07/17/2019 |

Fire Door Safety Week – 23-29 September 2019

RES have pledged it’s support for Fire Door Safety Week – 23-29 September 2019. This year the important annual campaign  aims to raise the awareness of the critical role fire doors play in protecting us when we’re asleep. We hope to bring our customers infographics, videos, guides and guidance to help make the campaign a success.

For more information visit https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk

Our logo can be seen here https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/supporters/

You can also follow the campaign via Twitter https://twitter.com/FDSafetyWeek

 

Check out this “5 MOST COMMON FIRE DOOR FAULTS” infographic

 

Why use internal fire doors?

06/22/2019 |

Internal fire doors are used to maintain the compartmentation of a building that is on fire, thereby reducing the risk of a fire spreading. They also give access to escape routes, whilst limiting the passage of smoke throughout the building. Many insurance policies for businesses and commercial buildings require the installation of internal fire doors as a requirement to protect the building and its contents. Another use for fire doors is that they give firefighters more protection when they are attempting to put out a fire.

The majority of internal building doors are made from timber, which will give a most basic level of protection against the spread of a fire. However, only doors that confirm to Fire Door Standards BS476 and BS8214 will give the best level of protection. Internal fire doors are made from metal and are rigorously tested to ensure they meet guidelines and provide the best protection possible against the spread of fire. Such testing is carried out by a door being subjected to hot gas and fire, and a note of the time taken for the door’s integrity to be compromised. Internal fire doors should also have fire-resistant glazing, hinges and self-closing abilities.

Why use internal fire doors?

Fire doors should be inspected once every six months to ensure that they still have the ability to provide the desired level of protection against fire and smoke. Around 3 million internal fire doors are installed in the UK every year, and they are often a first line of defence in a fire to prevent the chance of it spreading throughout a building. It is vitally important that fire doors are well-maintained and are installed to the correct specifications to ensure that they can always protect the occupants of a building. Unfortunately, maintenance of internal fire doors is often not considered until it is too late. It is also common for occupants within a commercial building to have a lack of knowledge regarding their proper use, leading to instances such as fire doors being left open, or damage being left unrepaired.
Fire doors must be used near stairs or corridors where smoke could potentially pass through and spread.

 

We cover the South of England including the counties of Berkshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent including London, Aldershot, Basingstoke, Beaconsfield, Bracknell, Egham, Farnham, Guildford, Henley on Thames, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Marlow, Newbury, Oxford, Reading, Slough, St Albans, Staines, Swindon, Watford, Windsor, Woking, Wokingham.

Internal fire door specifications

06/20/2019 |

All internal fire doors need to adhere to the following regulations:
⁃ They must be heavier than normal internal doors.
⁃ Door closers must be fitted so that they close automatically.
⁃ Seals must be fitted around the edges of the doors so that they can expand to block gaps (and prevent smoke from spreading).
⁃ Fire-resistant glazing must be fitted into windows on the doors.
⁃ Handles and other fittings on the doors must be fire-resistant to ensure they can be opened safely in an emergency.

An internal fire door FD30 should resist fire for 30 minutes. A FD60 fire door should resist fire for 60 minutes. The amount of time it takes for a fire door to actually resist a fire depends on the circumstances, including where the fire is in relation to the door, the burn rate, and what is being burned at the time.

Internal fire doors from RES

If you require internal fire door installation, maintenance or repairs, RES can carry out a comprehensive service to meet your requirements. We cover the South of England including the counties of Berkshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent including London, Aldershot, Basingstoke, Beaconsfield, Bracknell, Egham, Farnham, Guildford, Henley on Thames, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Marlow, Newbury, Oxford, Reading, Slough, St Albans, Staines, Swindon, Watford, Windsor, Woking, Wokingham.

RES has highly experienced fire risk assessment officers, alongside well-trained fire door technicians and engineers. We provide practical and cost-effective fire risk assessment services and interior fire door installation for our clients to keep their business and staff protected in the event of an emergency.

How to check that internal fire doors are safe?

06/12/2019 |

All internal fire doors must be certified. Check for a label on the top or side of one of the doors to ensure this. You should also check that the gaps around the sides and top of the doors are less than 4mm when closed. You should just be able to fit a £1 coin in the gap (as a way to determine whether the gap is too big).

All seals around the fire doors should be in good condition, with no damage. If they are damaged, they will need repair, as the performance of the doors could be compromised as a result. A final check is to ensure that the doors close properly. You can do this by opening the doors halfway and then letting them go, to see if they close by themselves. If they stick onto the frame and do not close effectively by themselves, they will need further examination and repair.

If you require internal fire door installation, maintenance or repairs, RES can carry out a comprehensive service to meet your requirements. We cover the South of England including the counties of Berkshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent including London, Aldershot, Basingstoke, Beaconsfield, Bracknell, Egham, Farnham, Guildford, Henley on Thames, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Marlow, Newbury, Oxford, Reading, Slough, St Albans, Staines, Swindon, Watford, Windsor, Woking, Wokingham.

Feb 2019 – RES team attend Fire Doors Explained Course

03/18/2019 |

Feb 2019 – RES team attend Fire Doors Explained Course

Engineers from our passive fire protection team, Ben, Rory and Mark recently undertook the Fire Doors Explained training course with BM TRADA at the Warrington Fire Test Laboratory.

The CPD (Continuing Professional Development ) certified course includes a live fire test demonstration and is designed to present an overview of fire door design, manufacture, testing, installation and certification.

Effective fire-resisting doors are vital to ensure occupants are able to evacuate to a safe place.
Correctly specified and installed doors will hold back fire and smoke, preventing escape routes becoming unusable as well as preventing the spread of fire.

During the day the team covered Current Fire Safety Legislation, Compartmentation,HM Gov Building Regulations, Anatomy of Fire Resistant Doorsets, Fire testing, Test reports, and the Role of Assessments, Installation of Fire Doors, Third party Certification, and a live one-hour fire resistance test in a full-scale 3m x 3m vertical fire test furnace.

The knowledge the course gave me was invaluable when it comes to site surveys!

Mark O’Halloran – RES Fire Risk Assessor

From Left to right, Ben – Our new Fire Door Carpenter, Rory – currently training as a multi-skilled engineer to cover Fire Stopping, Fire Doors and Fire Alarm Installations, Mark – Currently undertaking our Fire Risk Assessments.