Fire door safety may not be front of mind for many individuals, organisations, or facilities, but in the construction industry, we have never been more aware of its importance.
Alongside campaigns like Fire Door Safety Week, owned and managed by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), there are numerous others rightly drawing attention to the systemic issues around the low standards of passive fire safety measures across a range of built environments. This is where you’ll find Door Controls Direct X dormakaba.
Fire Door Safety - Strength in Partnership
Knowing that a surprising number of fire doors fail because the door closers are badly fitted, broken, or even missing, as many as 31%, we felt something had to change. And there is no time like the present.
Both dedicated and committed to the same cause, a natural partnership has formed between Door Controls Direct and dormakaba. Together, we can better enable and deliver a concerted push to increase awareness beyond the confines of industry journals, forums, and websites, of the importance of robust passive fire safety and security measures.
dormakaba UK
Perhaps best known by installers for their extensive range of door closers and digital locks, dormakaba manufactures products and provides services focused on building security and access.
From a home office or hotel, to shopping centers and sporting venues, their innovative solutions can be found globally, protecting what matters. dormakaba has cultivated a range of hardware from heavy duty floor springs and pivots, to electromagnetic door closers, motor locks, and automatic operators.
Would You Risk It?
Protecting people and properties is at the top of the agenda for many decision-makers. However, this can be compromised by time constraints, budgets, or even a lack of awareness and understanding.
The risks of incorrectly specified, installed, or maintained door hardware are not always obvious but can be extensive and life changing. These risks can be overlooked or ignored but would you risk failure in other areas of your life?
As a coastal nation, many of us may have experience of boat trips or paddle boarding. Would you take the risk and wear a life jacket where the seams are split? Would you be confident that it would keep you afloat should you end up in the water? As we see it, it’s not that different from fire doors having damaged or even missing smoke seals. Shockingly, this is the case for 37% of fire doors.
A much more difficult statistic to stomach is that 75% of UK fire doors that were inspected did not meet the required safety standards. Would you jump, knowing that your parachute had a meager 1 in 4 chance of opening? Would you risk it?
It’s highly unlikely anyone would say yes in these cases, so why do we accept this level of failure from something else meant to save lives – fire doors? We risk ourselves and others by allowing this failure to continue. This is why we’re here, to guide, to advise, to upskill, and to ultimately lessen the risk to life.
Simple Checks Make All the Difference
Door hardware can be complex, especially when bringing together ironmongery and access control but that isn’t a reason to ignore it. Ignorance and complacency don’t deliver change.
With the combined expertise and expert solutions of Door Control Direct and dormakaba, we are here to guide you to functional and safe solutions for every type of door on your project or in your facility. Protect lives – check your fire doors.
A simple check could make all the difference. A quick and easy place to start is as part of your regular fire door maintenance program, use one of our free gap testers to ensure gaps between door and frame are at a compliant 2mm-4mm.
Don’t Risk What Matters Most
Your safety is our priority. Allow Door Controls Direct and dormakaba to help you protect what matters. Our blogs include a guide to passive fire protection and how improving fire door safety safeguards lives, assets, and properties.
Start your journey today. Protect lives and buildings with certified fire door hardware and access control solutions. Our team is here to guide you every step of the way, from specification and supply to installation and troubleshooting. We can help you keep your facilities compliant and secure.
T: 01305 263300
E: sales@doorcontrolsdirect.co.uk
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