Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 114 THE door industry journal summer 2022 Fire Doors, Safety & Security Failing Fire Doors? How to Make Compliance Easier from the Start Following the news that 75% of fire doors recently failed inspection, Stairways Midlands, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of high-value staircases and door solutions for house builders, architects and contractors, explains how door sets can provide an easy and safe solution. Shocking data released recently by the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) shows that the vast majority of the 100,000+ fire doors they inspected last year failed to meet the required standards. Three in four didn’t pass inspection, and incredibly almost a third of the fire doors failed due to incorrect installation - potentially putting lives at risk in the event of a fire from the moment they went in. Worryingly the FDIS figures also show the highest number of fire door inspection failures which included healthcare buildings, local authorities and housing associations, and private housing. Louise Halton, FDIS Scheme Manager, warned: “a tragedy is simply waiting to happen, especially so in buildings that are home to vulnerable residents”. But as she also points out “this situation is entirely preventable” and a “fit for purpose fire door can save lives.” So how can you ensure that the fire doors you install are ‘fit for purpose’? The expert team from the door division at Stairways Midlands believes there is a simple solution – opting for door sets over traditionally hung doors or door kits. Doing it the hard way? Installing frames and then hanging doors on site is a far more challenging approach, requiring a couple of hours of a skilled carpenter’s time. Explains Richard Kowalski, Technical Manager - Door Divisions, Stairways Midlands: “It leaves much more room for error, with gaps around the doors being too large for example.” This was actually one of the most common reasons for failing an inspection according to the FDIS.
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