Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 106 THE door industry journal winter 2023 Doorsets, Fire Doors, Safety & Security Knowledge Is Key: How To Ensure Fire Door Compliance Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, recent years have seen an influx of new statutory guidelines relating to fire safety as part of the Home Office’s fire safety reform programme. This includes the Fire Safety Act 2021, which was introduced in May 2022; the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, outlining the requirement for regular, legally-mandated checks on millions of fire doors from January 2023; and the recently introduced Building Safety Act (2022), which requires further recording and sharing of a building’s fire safety information. With the continued roll-out of new fire safety regulations, it’s crucial for those involved in the fire door supply chain to fully understand their individual responsibilities in ensuring proper compliance - but this can be a challenge when the guidance is often complex and constantly evolving. Surveying the sector To investigate the current issues and gaps in understanding surrounding fire safety compliance, JELD-WEN recently conducted a survey1 of professionals across the housing sector who are at the forefront of fire safety - landlords and property managers, public sector contractors, procurement managers and specifiers. It revealed that, despite more stringent regulations, there remains a lack of understanding throughout the industry of where responsibility for fire safety compliance lies within the supply chain. The survey found that over half (60%) of specifiers and 58% of procurement professionals would feel ‘Very Responsible’ if a fire were to occur at a building they had worked at and a fire door didn’t offer its intended level of protection - but this dropped to 43% of landlords and property managers, and only 34% of contractors. Marcus Payne, R&D Team Leader at the UK’s leading door manufacturer JELD-WEN, explores the challenges in ensuring compliance throughout the fire door supply chain, as the housing sector continues to adapt to new legislation.
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