BWF And GAI Respond To GLA Report

The BWF and the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers have urged the Greater London Authority to recommend specifying third party certificated fire-rated products, especially fire doors and their components, and to advise all London Boroughs to do the same.

In a joint response to the Assembly's Planning and Housing Committee report on fire risks in London's tall and timber-framed residential buildings, the two organisations made specific comments on the specification, installation, inspection and maintenance of fire doors The Committee's report was prompted by a series of fires including Lakanal House where six people lost their lives, and fires involving timber framed construction sites at Colindale, Camberwell and Peckham.

The response also raised concerns about how often specifications were compromised in the interests of cost-saving, and that there is a the culture within the construction and facilities management sectors to assume that it is for someone else in the chain to take the responsibility for ensuring that the fire doors are correct.  The BWF and GAI agreed with the report's finding that there needed to be greater coherence in the training and accreditation of fire risk assessors.

The BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme, and the GAI are jointly developing an online education training programme and diploma qualification to provide targeted professional training on fire doors and a scheme to certificate fire door inspectors, with the first students expected to begin the course in July. As part of the planned inspection scheme, there will be an online database which will contain an inventory of all fire doors inspected by qualified, competent inspectors, along with the outcome of any inspections undertaken. Details in the database will build up into an asset register which will assist building owners and facilities managers in maintaining the buildings for which they are responsible.
 
Further points raised in the response included:

• Grave concerns over the mis-use of fire doors, in terms of incorrect specification and installation, poor workmanship, poor maintenance and the removal of fire doors and the re-installation of non fire-rated PVC or timber doors for 'security' or other purposes.
• The importance of making contractors and residents aware of the fire safety requirements, and the correct installation and use of third-party certificated products in order to ensure compliance.
• The need for all residents to understand the need for, and role of, fire doors in the event of a fire.