From: Wayne Rogerson,
Joint Managing Director, CENSolutions

I read with interest your piece titled ‘Panic exit update’ on the improved Yale Lockmaster Panic Exit hardware which featured in last week’s Glazine (5th June 2018).  Companies like Yale should be applauded for continuing to raise the safety standard of hardware in our industry and offering customers a fully certified product. 

Manufacturers need to be taking compliance seriously – it’s not just a nice to have, it’s a legal requirement.  With the issue of fire safety firmly in the spotlight at present and greater focus on safe escape, we’re working across the industry to ensure our customers fully understand the different level of conformity for a fire door, over any other door.  CE Marking to a system of AVCP (Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance) Level 1 – which requires certification under a notified body – is the highest level and applies to Fire Doors and also escape route doors, so doors fitted with panic hardware, i.e. push bar or push pad doors.

Products then have to be audited annually in order to maintain certification. There are also requirements for on-going maintenance which will be defined by the hardware manufacturer, failure to comply with the operation and maintenance instructions would invalidate any warranty. This could be seen as an opportunity by certain organisations in the industry to offer an on-going maintenance package, which would reassure the consumer. In fairness, I’m convinced that the installation of such products should also be covered under a certification scheme too, as the product is only as good as the installation.

We work in close cooperation with ER Certification & TÜVRheinland Nederland B.V, ER Certification is UKAS accredited to deliver product certification for various schemes and TÜVRheinland Nederland B.V, are a Notified Body. CENSolutions has a working cooperation with both of these companies and we can coordinate the process of compliance with this level of certification for our customers and the wider industry.