Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk Industry News Therefore, dual certification of these doors was introduced a few years ago. This approach says that for all Secured by Design projects, doorsets and door assemblies must now be certified for both enhanced security and resistance to fire by the same certification body. The specification and specimen to be tested must be identical – there’s no scope to swap around anything on either the door type, size or design, or the associated hardware. Additionally, no sample has been engineered to pass one of the tests, which may be detrimental to the other test. Responsible door manufacturers welcomed this approach and the trend is now for a multi-certification approach. For example, from June this year, Secured by Design projects have also required smoke testing for doorsets or door assemblies to BS 476-31.1 (Methods for Measuring Smoke Penetration through Door Sets and Shutter Assemblies), or BS EN 1634-3 (Fire Resistance and Smoke Control Tests for Door and Shutter Assemblies, Openable Windows and Elements of Building Hardware). This is important because, as SBD’s guidance explains, incorrect smoke seals or badly fitted smoke seals will impact how a fire doorset performs. Fire and smoke testing are entirely different, but both are very rigorous. Unfortunately, the fact remains that smoke, fire and security standards can sometimes work against each other. It’s a major challenge to find a design and specification that works for these multiple priorities. Independent assessment for the police-backed SBD scheme and fire door certification allows manufacturers to demonstrate that their products and procedures meet accepted standards for security. Learn more about UL’s security, dual and multi-certification services or email EU.BuildingLifeSafety@ul.com . A complimentary on-demand webinar explaining third-party testing and certification of building products is also available.
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