RETHINKING FIRE DOOR SAFETY
RETHINKING FIRE DOOR SAFETY
Sue Corrick of Allegion UK outlines inconsistency in fire door safety and how specifiers are being supported to close knowledge gaps.
Whether it’s boiling the kettle, charging your phone or changing a lightbulb, it’s second nature to be cautious when handling a potentially dangerous object. We learn these habits early and it helps foster a culture where the risk of common appliances, technologies and commodities are routinely recognised. However, one everyday item that often gets overlooked and doesn’t receive the same level of attention is fire doors.
Fire doors and their hardware are purpose built to prevent the spread of smoke and fire in an emergency and are a key element of any building’s passive fire protection system. Despite their crucial role in safeguarding lives, fire doors are all too often neglected, misused and poorly maintained.
At Allegion UK, we believe this inconsistency highlights a deeper issue within fire safety practice, and one that the industry must actively address.
A CALL FOR ACTION
Safety measures are an integral part of our lives. As observant people, we review the condition of our charger wires, blow out candles and matches when we’re finished with them and we closely check product reviews for the appliances we buy, all to reduce the chance of faults and fire and the danger it presents to the buildings we reside in. And, when a product doesn’t perform as it should, we act.