Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 113 THE door industry journal summer 2023 Doorsets, Fire Doors, Safety & Security The Act specifies that a ‘principal accountable person’ has ongoing obligations for monitoring building safety and engaging with residents – a role includes knowing about the fire doors, and how they should be specified, fitted and maintained – all key parts of that ‘golden thread’ of safety information. “Things have been tightened up since Grenfell”, explains Richard Kowalski. “There is an understanding across the sector that information must be kept, maintained and referred to. We’ve certainly seen a big increase in the number of people asking us for fire certificates and operation and maintenance information because they know they have to take responsibility and be ready for inspections.” While it’s not specified in the legislation, in the case of fire doors the relevant data which will need to be kept include the details of the doorset or door and the ironmongery, the fire certificate, details of manufacture and third-party certification, and installation and ongoing maintenance records. The Buildings Safety Act also specifies that it should be kept in a digital format. While this level of detail has always been available, it has rarely been accessible, explains Richard Kowalski: “We have always offered operation and maintenance manuals for fire doors, but the problem with that is they’re bulky and difficult to store. They tended to be requested as a tick box exercise at the end of a job – kept in a lever arch folder on a shelf somewhere, or a file on somebody’s laptop that then crashes. They were often lost or forgotten about, so even if you had them, nobody referred to them anyway.” Thankfully, there are now a number of products coming to market which offer solutions to the storage problem, from QR codes to smart data pins, with everything easily accessible online. PinPoint One such smart solution is the Door Data System, a digital door passport marketed as ‘PinPoint’ by Stairways. This is a data pin, about the size of the end of a pencil, which can be installed in the door and is readable with a smart device. Each pin contains a unique code which unlocks the relevant online store of information, managed via an App. That pool of data can be accessed and updated right from manufacture, through installation, and once a building is occupied it provides the ‘responsible person’ with the full information and history of that fire door. Adds Richard: “You can access all the certificates, the operations and maintenance manual, the installation and maintenance information, the warranty for the ironmongery, additional information about the other components and so on, making it easy to safely meet inspection and maintenance requirements for the life of the door. “During an inspection, for example, you can refer back to the fire certificate for the acceptable gaps around the door, or if a door needs repair you can look up the exact part required and the fitting instructions. “The product has an aftercare feature, so when you do any maintenance, replacing a worn hinge for example, you can update what’s been done in the app and that will then be stored for future reference. “You can even set alerts and reminders for future inspections, or just use it as a database.” In line with the ‘the golden thread’ concept, which extends from right from design and construction, through to occupation, refurbishment and ongoing management of buildings, PinPoint has specific functionality for the installation process, with a useful checklist for the installer, and the ability to store photographic evidence along the way. Explains Richard: “The app not only provides access to the fire certificate for the door, which includes specific instructions around the installation, including the right foams and mastics to use, but the fitter can follow steps in the app, saving photos at specific points to demonstrate they have fitted that door properly so at inspection, the inspector doesn’t have to pull the architrave off to check – they can see it’s correct.” Adds Richard: “Although it’s still in its infancy, I think this technology is the future and PinPoint, in my opinion, is one of the most progressed, useful products on the market. “It already has a lot of traction, especially in local authority developments and hospitals. It is incredibly useful at every stage, making compliance with the new legislation and maintaining the golden thread of information as easy as it possibly can be.” www.stairways.co.uk
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