We’re using Fire Door Safety Week 2021 to urge landlords to commit to installing fire doors that meet life-saving UK standards
Check out our infographic to find out more about FD30 and FD30S Fire Doors and how they save lives
What Is Fire Door Safety Week?
Fire Door Safety Week (FDSW) is a national campaign launched in 2013 in response to Fire Door neglect.
This year’s week-long campaign runs from Monday 20th to Sunday 26th September 2021.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the critical role Fire Doors play in preventing or delaying the spread of fire and deadly smoke, and therefore protecting lives and property.
More specifically, the FDSW campaign draws attention to issues such as substandard Fire Doors that don’t meet the life-saving UK standards, poor installation and maintenance.
Fire Door Safety Week is managed by the BWF Fire Door Alliance (operated by the British Woodworking Federation) and supported by partners including:
- The Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign
- The National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC)
- The London Fire Brigade
We’re Calling On Landlords To Prevent Future Tragedy
The latest figures show that the annual total of fire-related deaths in the UK dropped from 317 to 286 between 2017/18 and 2019/20.
There’s clearly been a significant improvement in fire safety measures and awareness.
But we think that even one fire-related fatality is one too many – and that residential and commercial landlords must take fire safety more seriously to prevent future tragedies.
Fire Doors are a legal requirement for:
- flats which open onto communal areas shared with other tenants
- any home or private property more than two storeys-high
- and all commercial properties.
This is because expertly manufactured and properly certified Fire Doors installed by experienced professionals can:
- Prevent the spread of fire and deadly smoke for 30 minutes or more
- Give building occupants a chance to escape to safety while the fire brigade arrives
Too Many Landlords Cutting Corners
We believe that too many landlords and people responsible for multi-occupancy building fire safety cut corners by installing fire doors which don’t meet life-saving UK standards.
The majority of landlords recognise – especially in light of such high profile tragedies as Grenfell – that introducing or improving fire safety standards is of the utmost importance.
But there are still too many that put the lives of their tenants at risk by opting to install cheap or uncertified Fire Doors.
These sub-standard Fire Doors are as incapable as standard doors when it comes to withstanding blaze or stopping the spread of toxic smoke that’s responsible for 40% of all UK fire-related deaths.
Vigor Doors are therefore using Fire Door Safety Week 2021 to urge landlords to commit to installing fire doors that meet UK standards certified by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Fire Door Alliance.
What Is The BWF Fire Door Alliance?
The BWF Fire Door Alliance is operated and managed by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF).
It is a scheme that champions third-party certification of Fire Doors and doorsets.
Comprising manufacturers of timber Fire Doors and fire doorsets, processors, distributors and suppliers of integral components, members share the vision that every fire door or fire doorset sold in the UK should meet required standards throughout its service life.
How To Check If A Fire Door Is Fit For Purpose
The BWF Fire Door Alliance has come up with a simple five-step fire door safety check for Fire Door Safety Week 2021.
This checklist will help property owners, those responsible for building fire safety and occupants themselves whether a Fire Door is capable of helping prevent tragedy in the event of a fire.
1.Certification
Look for a label or plug (usually on the top of the door) that shows the door is 3rd-party certified by the BWF and traceable back to the original manufacturer. Read this blog to find out more about the importance of Fire Door certification.
2. Gaps
Check that the gaps around the top and sides of the door are smaller than 4mm when the door is closed. The gap underneath the door can be slightly larger (up to 8mm), depending on the type of door.
3. Seals
Make sure the door’s or frame’s intumescent seal is intact and not damaged. Find out more about how intumescent seals prevent the spread of fire and toxic smoke in this blog.
4. Hinges
Examine all hinges, ensuring they are firmly fitted to the door (there should be three or more hinges), and that no screws are missing or broken.
5. Closing
Ensure the door closes firmly onto the latch without sticking to the floor or frame.
Fire Door Safety Week Webinars
Fire Door Safety Week will be running a series of free webinars which anyone can attend, over the course of the week, including:
Tuesday 21st September
11 am – 12 noon: An Introduction to Fire Doors
12noon – 1 pm: The Importance of Fire & Smoke Leakage Performance
Wednesday 22nd September
11 am – 12 noon: Fire Door Inspections – What are the Common Problems
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: The Importance of Third Party Certification
Thursday 23rd September
2 pm – 3 pm: Fire Doors in the Grenfell Tower Tragedy
To learn more or attend, visit the events section on the Fire Door Safety Week website
Vigor Doors – Driven By A Passion For Saving Lives
Our Fire Doors and doorsets can’t prevent fires. But what they can do is create a vital window of opportunity for people to escape to safety and for the fire brigade to get things under control.
In other words, our Fire Door products can be the difference between a safe outcome and potential tragedy.
And our Acoustic Doors have a major role to play in reducing sound pollution and unwanted noise.
They can help people get a better night’s sleep, relax, create happier family lives or relationships, boost productivity in work environments and improve general wellbeing.
Do you want Fire Doors and fire-related products that could one day save the lives of the people occupying your property or the property you’re responsible for?
Then please speak to a member of the Vigor Doors team on 01642 265 034 or drop us a line at info@vigordoors.com
