From: Simon Beer,
Managing Director, Bluesky Certification

In this year’s Fire Door Safety Week there has never before been so much scrutiny on fire door product specification, manufacture, installation and maintenance. We are all aware how integral fire doors are when a fire breaks out in a building after the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower. Properly manufactured, installed and maintained fire doors help to ensure compartmentalisation of fire and stop the fire spreading inside the building.

The fire at Grenfell Tower, and before that Lakanal House, mean issues around fire safety are in the spotlight. It’s highlighted that whatever part in the supply chain, there’s potentially a personal liability if things go wrong. It might sound sensationalist, but would you be prepared to go to prison to secure a contract?

Individuals and companies can take steps to protect themselves. While third party certification is not mandatory, it offers a robust framework for manufacturing fire doors. More to the point, third party certification is recommended in Building Regulations for fire doors, making it even more appropriate. A Building Regulations review in the light of the Grenfell tower fire is likely to make third party certification mandatory for those manufacturing or installing fire doors, so achieving it now not only provides peace of mind, but is likely to prepare companies for emerging requirements.

CE marking for fire doors is not yet a legal requirement, however it is likely that it will become mandatory in the future. Therefore, it makes sense for companies to choose a third party certification body that is a Notified Body, so that when CE Marking for fire doors comes into legislation, they already have everything in place.

Bluesky Certification is a Notified Body for fire doors, one of very few companies that offer this service in the UK. We also offer SBD and panic exit doorset certification, so where fire doors need to adhere to other criteria, we can offer a complete service.

www.blueskycert.com