Door Group, a unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, is stressing the need for greater awareness of fire safety in education buildings, with a large percentage of fire doors in schools found to be non-compliant while undergoing inspections.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires schools to undertake risk assessments to identify the general fire precautions needed to safeguard the safety of occupants in case of fire, including their safe means of escape.
Despite this, recent research[1] showed that schools have been hit by 2,300 fires in the last five years, destroying 47 primary and secondary school buildings alone.
Fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building, and regular product specifications or dedicated fire door inspections are essential to fully ensure health and safety measures are met.
Education buildings can present highly specific requirements for fire doorsets, with particularly varied legislation and building regulations surrounding fire doors in schools.
These doors are subject to extremely high levels of traffic, and subsequently a higher level of misuse and abuse, which can then lead to functional problems resulting in non-compliance.
Brian Sofley, Managing Director of ASSA ABLOY Door Group, explains: “Whilst statutory inspections are being completed for the entire building, the necessary attention to fire door compliance is being overlooked.
“Our team of BRE qualified engineers have found a large percentage of fire doors to be non-compliant when completing a dedicated fire door inspection in schools over the past 3 – 4 years. For example, in one school, 163 of the 164 fire doors we inspected were not fire compliant.”
The economic and social impact of school fires on staff, pupils, and the local community can be significant, causing financial hardship, emotional trauma, and a delay in learning.
A study[2] found that 17% of schools who had experienced a fire said it had led to a drop in staff morale, 6% to a drop in morale amongst pupils and 7% said that their fire had led to negative publicity about their school.
Door Group is committed to raising the standard of fire door safety in schools, providing a fully comprehensive inspection which can be carried out every three, four, six or twelve months to suit specific requirements.
Following inspections, Door Group then offer detailed reports containing advice and recommendations on necessary improvements, with the knowledge that identifying any potential issues that could impact safety and product performance can be lifesaving.
If any issues do occur, a tailored repair proposal is issued to include anything from replacement doors to a regular maintenance program. Door Group inspectors are BRE-certified and will ensure that all fire doors inspected meet all necessary standards and regulations.
Brian adds: “An education building should be a safe and secure place for students and staff, to work and learn. Door Group is committed to making schools, colleges and universities across the UK fire protected.
“With regular and thorough inspections, we can ensure the compliance and performance of fire doorsets in an effort to improve overall fire safety in the educational environment, while minimising the risk that learning could be negatively impacted by a fire.”
For more information on ASSA ABLOY Door Group, click here.
Contact ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA Digital and Access Solutions
Dukes Court/Dukes Street
Woking
GU21 5BH
United Kingdom
Web: About us | ASSA ABLOY
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0049 30 8106 2970
The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report shows builders’ merchants’ value sales in October were up +1.2% compared to the same month last year.
Posted in Articles, Bathrooms & Toilets, Bricks & Blocks, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Building Systems, Civil Engineering, Cladding, Concrete, Cement, Admixtures, Drainage, Drainage Services, Floors, Garden, Hand Tools, Hard Landscaping & Walkways, Health & Safety, Heating Systems, Controls and Management, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning - HVAC, Information Technology, Interior Design & Construction, Interiors, Landscaping, news, Paints, Paints, Coatings & Finishes, Pipes, Pipes & Fittings, Plant, Equipment and Hire, Plumbing, Power Tools, Publications, Research & Materials Testing, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Site Preparation, Sustainability & Energy Efficiency, Timber Buildings and Timber Products, Walls, Waste Management & RecyclingKids’ Village is delighted to have partnered with GEZE UK as their 2025 charity of the year – find out more via the article…
Posted in Access Control & Door Entry Systems, Architectural Ironmongery, Articles, Building Industry Events, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Charity work, Doors, Facility Management & Building Services, Health & Safety, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Security and Fire Protection, WindowsThe Encon Group, the leading independent distributor of building materials, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded Silver membership of The 5% Club by the 2024/25 Employer Audit Scheme.
Posted in Articles, Awards, Bricks & Blocks, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry Events, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Building Systems, Civil Engineering, Cladding, Concrete, Cement, Admixtures, Facades, Hard Landscaping & Walkways, Health & Safety, Insulation, Landscaping, Plant, Equipment and Hire, Recruitment, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Site Preparation, Training, WallsLocated in Charlton, South London, SWA member West Leigh was established during the Blitz, in 1943. During the destruction in London, the company helped in repairing windows and facades that had been damaged by bombings throughout the city.
Posted in Articles, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Building Systems, Case Studies, Facades, Glass, Glazing, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Steel and Structural Frames, Walls, Windows