Interest in fire doors reignited by major industry initiative

Fire Door Safety Week makes a return this year following a hugely successful launch in 2013. The campaign will take place between 15 and 21 September 2014, engaging the breadth of the industry and raising awareness of the critical role fire doors play in passive fire protection in every commercial, public and multiple occupancy building.

The brainchild of the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) and BWF-CERTIFIRE and Fire Door Safety Week reached over 6.5 million people last year and received major support from the Fire Minister, fire industry leaders, fire and rescue services across the country and leading fire door and doorset manufacturers and ironmongers.

But prosecutions under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order continue to be given to building owners and property managers in the UK who neglect their responsibility to ensure fire doors are installed and properly maintained. Already in 2014 a fine of £70,000 and a 15 month jail sentence have been handed out in two fire door related judgements.

John Fletcher, BWF-CERTIFIRE scheme manager, said:

“Fire Door Safety Week 2013 really got the industry fired up about the need for properly installed and maintained fire doors. But while prosecutions continue, we are determined to do even more to raise awareness.”

The need for Fire Door Safety Week is clear and this year it promises to be even bigger and better.  In 2014 the campaign is delighted to be working in partnership with Government's own Fire Kills Campaign and has backing from a wide range of organisations including the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS), Lorient, Fire Mark Education, TRADA, Exova Warringtonfire, IFC, fire and rescue services, fire door and door-set manufacturers and major players in the ironmongery sector.

There is still time to organise Fire Door Safety Week activities.  You can pledge your support at https://firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/tool-kit/

Follow Fire Door Safety Week on Twitter @FDSafetyWeek or search for tweets with the hashtag #firedoorsafetyweek

ENDS

Notes to editors

1.    Fire Doors are often the first line of defence in a fire and their correct specification, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants.  However, they remain a significant area of neglect, often the first thing to be downgraded on a specification and mismanaged throughout their service life, propped open, damaged and badly maintained.  This makes Fire Door breaches one of the most common fines implemented under the Fire Safety Order 2005.

2.    The BWF is the trade association for the woodworking and joinery manufacturing industry in the UK. It has over 600 members drawn from manufacturers, distributors and installers of timber doors, windows, conservatories, staircases, all forms of architectural joinery including shopfitting, cladding and engineered timber components, as well as suppliers to the industry. These businesses range from family firms to large corporations. The total turnover of the BWF’s manufacturing membership in 2013 was approximately £500 million.

3.    The BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme was established by a group of prime fire door manufacturers to increase the standard of timber fire doors in the UK. Its membership consists of fire door manufacturers including manufacturers of ironmongery, intumescent seals, glazing systems, merchants and installers, all promoting the specification of third-party certificated products.  About 2 million fire doors are tested and certified in the UK each year, approximately 70% of the market.

4.  The brand ‘Fire Kills’ was introduced in 1999 to bring together messages about fire safety under one recognisable banner, uniting local activity and national interventions.  It has become one of the most enduring brands in existence in government.  The broad aim of Fire Kills is the prevention of accidental domestic fires and consequent injury or loss of life.

Issued on behalf of BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door & Doorset Scheme by Liz Male Consulting Ltd.

Further information from:
Liz Male or Tracy Smeathers, tel. 01234 714494