Door Industry Journal - Winter 2015

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 16 THE door industry journal winter 2015 industry news DOOR ACCIDENT LEADS TO MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE The safety of industrial doors has been put under the spotlight following a court hearing where a man was charged with two counts of manslaughter by gross negligence. The charges followed the death of two people who were struck by a large loading bay door at a Guildford theatre. The company that manufactured the door in the incident in 2013 has been summonsed for breaches of duty imposed by Section 6 of the Health & Safety at Work Act. The company is accused of failing to ensure that equipment supplied for use at work was safe. The Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) works tirelessly with its members to prevent this kind of thing from happening. It represents Britain’s leading manufacturers and installers of industrial doors and is committed to raising standards of safety, technical excellence and legal compliance in the UK industrial door industry. It promotes best practice in design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of industrial doors and offers advice to its members on how to ensure all products and services they supply comply with health and safety legislation. DHF has announced that it is launching a DHF Safety Assured Industrial Door Diploma training course. The two- day comprehensive course will cover all aspects of industrial door safety and is being piloted in November with the intention of being rolled out January 2016. DHF has made attendance at the course compulsory for members. The development of this training course is the latest stage in an ambitious plan by the DHF to further raise the standards of its members’ products and services to new levels. Bob Perry, DHF CEO, stated: “These are significant times for the DHF as we invest more into training delivery to all of our members. This course adds another dimension to our portfolio and complements our existing Powered Gate and Garage Door Diploma training courses.” Said Michael Skelding, DHF general manager and secretary: “Industrial doors are a common sight in public areas and workplaces. Powered industrial doors are machines and like all machinery, they present potential hazards if they are not manufactured, installed and maintained to the required standard. The consequences of supplying or specifying doors that do not comply with health and safety regulations can be severe. “We strongly urge all those responsible for industrial doors to have them checked by a specialist who can identify any risks to safety posed by the door and make them safe.” To learn more about becoming a member of DHF visit www.dhfonline.org.uk . HÖRMANN TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN CAR SHOWROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY Leicestershire garage and industrial door manufacturer Hörmann has seen its number of installations for car dealerships double since 2012. Over the past few years, more and more companies in the auto sector such as BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Kia, Peugeot, Porsche and Mercedes have been approaching Hörmann with requests for its doors for their new UK showrooms and service centres. This increase in demand for new or improved showrooms may be due to the fact that the number of UK new car sales has returned to its pre-economic downturn level. In total, 2.47 million new cars were registered last year, up 9 per cent on 2013 and the best annual performance since 2004.1 With health and safety planning and thermal efficiency now at the forefront of design, building professionals are under increasing pressure to select doors that achieve the best possible insulation values without compromising on style, security or ease of use. Taking all of this into account, Hörmann’s sectional doors are proving to be a popular choice. These doors not only aesthetically match the high-end specification of car showrooms, but also provide excellent insulation values. In addition, they are among the safest doors on the market even with an opening speed of up to 2.5m/s. One project that was completed earlier this year was the brand new, state of the art showroom for Jaguar and Land Rover in Stockport, where 14 of Hörmann’s HS 7030 PU high-speed doors have been installed. The door’s energy saving insulated panels glide smoothly and quickly into a spiral bracket, without contact, thanks to their chain mechanisms with spring compensation. Another benefit of the design means that the door requires less fitting space than traditional combi-doors. Tom Langley, projects director at Hörmann, comments: “It’s great to see that we’re now recognised as a leading manufacturer and supplier for this industry and have so many new customers coming aboard. We’re confident that this growth is down to our class-leading sectional door range and are looking forward to the upcoming projects this year.” For more information, visit www.hormann.co.uk