Increase in hospital fires highlights importance of compliant fire doors

Brian Sofley, managing director of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK and Ireland’s Door Group, explained: “The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires healthcare organisations to undertake risk assessments in order to identify the general fire precautions needed to safeguard occupants in the event of fire, including the latter’s safe means of escape.”

Sofley continued: “Fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building. Correct specification and installation are vital to ensure a complaint solution and protect lives. The responsibility doesn’t stop there, though. Regular inspections are essential to ensure Health and Safety measures are met.”

Further, Sofley noted: “Healthcare buildings can present highly specific requirements for fire door sets, with particularly varied legislation and Building Regulations surrounding fire door installations in hospitals. With fire protection systems failing time and time again, seemingly more needs to be done.”

BIM-enabled door specification

To aid compliant fire door specification in hospitals, ASSA ABLOY’s Openings Studio BIM application integrates with design software to create and visualise openings for complete door, frame and hardware schedules and specifications.

This enables the “seamless” extraction of door design intent and all relevant interfaces to assist the development of complete door requirements that meet the Building Regulations. Product information, performance data and budget information are captured within the BIM design environment.

Through real-time and collaborative working, these designs can be validated for compliance, functional performance and aesthetics. They’re presented as 3D views that can be fully re-integrated into the overall project design.

Thanks to linked internal systems, ASSA ABLOY uses this final schedule of information to manufacture the complete door set solution including the leaf, frame and all specified hardware.

The Openings Studio mobile app can directly access this data for use during the door installation process, ensuring full validity of the finished product prior to project completion. The app also offers an easy-to-use ‘check box’ system to carry out and capture detailed inspections based on the specific details of each door included in the schedule.

This report validates if a door has remained compliant, or otherwise identifies those elements that need to be corrected or replaced in order to return the product to the standard required, providing full traceability and ownership of all changes at all stages.

Fire door inspection schedules

As part of its commitment to fire door safety in hospitals, Door Group – itself a unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions – also provides fully comprehensive inspections, which can be carried out every three, four, six or 12 months to suit specific client requirements.

Following inspections, detailed reports are provided containing advice and recommendations on necessary improvements, with the knowledge that identifying any potential issues that could impact safety and product performance might well save lives.

If any issues do occur, a tailored repair proposal is issued to include anything from replacement doors through to a regular maintenance programme. Door Group inspectors are Building Research Establishment-certified and will ensure that all fire doors inspected meet all necessary standards and regulations.

Concerning statistics

Brian Sofley explained: “These new statistics are extremely concerning. Hospitals should be a safe and secure environment for staff and patients. Concerns around fire safety should not have to cross their minds.”

Further, Sofley told Fire Safety Matters: “We are committed to helping hospitals and other healthcare organisations across the UK ensure fire protection across their estates. From door specification and installation through to regular and thorough inspections, we can ensure the ongoing compliance and performance of fire door sets to improve overall fire safety within the sector.”

*For more information on fire doors from ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions visit www.assaabloy.com/uk/en/solutions/products/doors/fire-doors1

**Detail concerning fire door inspections from Door Group is available online at www.assaabloy.com/uk/en/services/fire-door-inspections