Fire Safety

Howard Trotter, business manager of window and fire door manufacturer Shelforce, discusses whether housing associations are getting value for money for crucial products – and how they can successfully balance both cost and quality.

The social housing landscape is constantly evolving; but what is not, is a commitment to the safety and quality of life for residents.

As housing associations strive to provide comfortable and secure homes for their residents, a critical aspect involves the maintenance and enhancement of properties, with replacement windows and doors, including fire doors, essential components for both safety and energy efficiency.

Kidde Safety Europe is launching a new relay unit designed to provide enhanced safety for building occupants, particularly for dwellings that house vulnerable people, or where compliance with the Equality Act is essential.

Fire doors are an integral part of your building’s fire safety. They can stop the spread of smoke and fire, but they can only do this if they are compliant and inspected regularly. Now that the new fire safety regulations have come into effect, it’s more important than ever to keep up to date with fire door inspections, with quarterly and yearly checks.

Fire door inspections involve checking every element of the doorset, from the door itself to the hardware. Every part of your fire door could have an impact on effectiveness and compliance, meaning inspection reports need to be thorough and comprehensive.

Kidde Safety Europe, a trusted fire safety leader for more than 100 years, has unveiled a significant rebrand. With a new logo that represents the home combined with the strapline: ‘The Power to Protect,’ the roll-out of the new identity started to hit the merchant and wholesaler shelves on new packaging earlier this year with the launch of Kidde’s new Co2 Monitor.  Kidde is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions.

Responding to UK/Ireland specifier calls for high-performance door components, James Latham introduces FERRO,
a premium range of highly durable and weather resistant external door blanks from leading brand Moralt.

Comprising some of the most robust external blanks currently available on the market, FERRO blanks are made from top-quality natural and engineered timbers, with either paintable plywood, exterior MDF or decorative veneered plywood faces.

What sets the FERRO blanks apart from others on the market is that each one contains two thermally isolated solid steel stabilising bars in its core, helping to prevent bowing and warping.

Specifying safe external components for new builds and refurbishments can be confusing, with myriad classifications and new legislation to be met. Phil Marris, Managing Director of Ecodek, manufacturers of the Adek aluminium decking system, looks to clarify the classification system, whilst also exploring the importance of the project ‘chain’ and the significant role the manufacturer can play when it comes to creating safe building components:

Fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, has supplied its EvacGo evacuation alert system to two high-rise residential tower blocks in Huyton, Merseyside following a series of fire safety improvements to the buildings.

Following a significant programme of compartmentation works undertaken in 2018, the 11-storey Knowsley Heights buildings have benefitted from a refit that includes installation of Advanced’s EvacGo system, which is compliant with the BS 8629 Code of Practice, for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of evacuation alert systems for use by fire and rescue services in England and Wales.