Door Industry Journal - Winter 2019

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 16 THE door industry journal winter 2019 Industry News dhf: 122 Years of Leading the Industry, Best Practice, and Promoting Excellence Who we are and what we do: 122 years ago, the now Tamworth-based trade association, the Door and Hardware Federation ( dhf ), was launched in Birmingham; it remains the oldest trade association in the industry. This was in 1897, and the federation was named the ‘Brass Masters Association’ back then. Its early objectives were to establish fair wages and conditions. A number of name changes later, and a century on, dhf remains a leading independent voice of authority in the areas it serves: locks & building hardware, doorsets, industrial doors & shutters, domestic garage doors and automated gates. With such a rich history and heritage, the organisation’s deep-rooted industry reputation has taken years to nurture. Quite simply, it is the ‘go to’ body for technical knowledge, information, advice, and practical help, with a team of the industry’s finest experts choosing to work there and a network of professional consultants in all sectors. It has become the ‘preferred place of employment’ for those attracted to its pursuit of excellence and standards, and its company culture. “Our position as the UK’s leading independent authority in these areas is to support our members by helping them work through challenging legislation, raise industry standards, and most importantly, put safe products on the market which remain legally compliant,” explains dhf ’s CEO, Bob Perry, who has led the organisation since 2009. “This has been our raison d’être for more than 120 years and our members know they can rely on us to go ‘above and beyond’ on their behalf. But most importantly, we have effected change, be that hammering home the importance of safe automated gates, our behind-the-scenes work on Approved Document Q, (created to guarantee greater standards of security for all new dwellings in England) or campaigning to highlight the importance of compartmentation and issues surrounding poorly or ill-fitted door closers, or had fallen into disrepair or had been de-activated ,following the Grenfell tragedy in June 2017”. Growth, success and collaboration: The federation has experienced considerable member growth, particularly over the past seven years, with more than 500 members in 2019, compared to just 220 in 2012. 60 new members have joined the organisation this year alone. And as with all good trade associations, change equals progress; dhf has continued to move forward, expanding its workforce (now 15 employees and six consultants), and raising its profile within both the industry, and with the consumer. Over the past year, in particular, dhf has shown its mettle by lobbying tirelessly for the issues it is passionate about, increasing its training offering, and joining forces with other high-profile organisations to shape and influence its crusade for excellence, and with that, greater standards of safety. In March of this year, the federation partnered with industry heavyweights, Secured by Design (SBD) and the Fire Industry Association (FIA), to publish a joint document on fire safety. Since the Grenfell fire tragedy, dhf ’s voice has been one of the most powerful in its drive for third-party certification of manufacture, installation, maintenance and inspection of fire, smoke and security doors. The publication: A Guide for Selecting Flat Entrance Doorsets; A publication for housing associations, landlords, building owners and local authorities in England, brings together the very best combined advice available from the industry in one straightforward document to highlight the fundamental issues of fire safety and security for those selecting fire doorsets. There is little doubt that it has accomplished a genuine need for greater clarity in a complicated market. “We remain convinced that certification remains the best and only way to assure that effective, quality products are delivered to market, providing the additional assurance of performance,” said Bob. “We were delighted to have worked together with SBD and FIA in sharing our joint expertise and guidance on doorsets and fire safety. It really was a natural partnership.”