Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 24 THE door industry journal spring 2023 Industry News Enhanced Security & Fire Performance of Doorsets Post the tragic fire at the Grenfell Tower in June 2017, Secured by Design (SBD) took an active part as a member of the Grenfell Technical Group, which was set up to provide technical advice specifically on entrance doorsets to individual flats - which includes the door, associated frame and all component parts, such as the glazing and door hardware. The Group, which included other not-for-profit organisations including the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the Door and Hardware Federation (dhf), met frequently throughout the rest of that year and our comprehensive technical findings were duly reported to government via the Grenfell Independent Expert Panel. Building on the collective expertise and experience within SBD, FIA and dhf the three organisations took the unprecedented step of collaborating on a document entitled ‘Guide For Selecting Flat Entrance Doorsets’ which was published in March 2019. Aimed at housing associations, landlords, building owners, developers and local authorities in England (but much of the advice is equally applicable to other countries of the UK, even though Building Regulations may differ slightly), the publication brings together the best collaborative advice available from the industry in one straightforward document to highlight the fundamental issues of fire safety and security for those selecting such doorsets. Importantly, the publication makes the point that there is no conflict between fire and security with Building Regulations Approved Document B (fire) and Approved Document Q (security) carrying equal weight with neither taking precedence over the other. Certification to include smoke control Alfie Hosker, SBD Technical Manager said: “Last year it came to the attention SBD that smoke test evidence was not being included in certification schemes, as it was for fire resistance and security. We have subsequently revisited the possible life-threatening characteristics of fire rated doorsets, as asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation is the most common cause of deaths in flats when a fire occurs. “Currently doorset thresholds can legitimately be tested to BS 476-31.1 or BS EN 1634-3 with the threshold taped up, and be assigned an ‘S’ designation (according to the guidance within Approved Document B) or an ‘Sa’ classification (when classified according to EN 13501-2), as the threshold gap is effectively discounted in both instances. It is also possible to
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