“Room for improvement” on third party certification for fire doors

Four years on from the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022, the British Woodworking Federation’s new Fire Door Alliance report (‘Competence, Certification and Compliance: How the Building Safety Act 2022 is Reshaping Fire Door Safety’) shows that awareness of third party certification and the importance of traceability is rising, but specification and competency understanding still have some way to go.

The findings suggest that the sector is embracing the changes and direction set by the Building Safety Act 2022, but the firm belief is that stronger awareness must now be matched by more consistent action in practice.

On average, survey respondents stated that 54% of the fire doors they specify or are responsible for are third party certified. While this is positive, it also highlights that there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

More than 50% of respondents said they specify or use third party certified fire doors to fulfil their responsibilities and comply with fire safety rules and guidelines (54%). Others cited evidence of performance (46%) and a commitment to high standards and Best Practice (40%) as key reasons for choosing certified fire doors.

The research also finds that practitioners are relying more on evidence in response to the Building Safety Act 2022. Almost half (47%) now look for more proof of performance, such as certificates and data sheets (an increase from 35% in 2023). 42% said the legislation has made them more likely to seek out third party certified fire doors. Traceability is also a major priority, with 93% of respondents noting that the ability to trace a complete fire door assembly matters to their organisation or clients.

Awareness and implementation

Despite this progress, there’s still a gap between awareness of third party certification and its actual implementation, with nearly half of all fire doors not currently third party certified.

Some sectors and building types also lag behind: hospitals and university Halls of Residence are cited by only 7% as having third party certified doors specified compared with higher rates in the social housing sector and for hotels. This is worrying given that hospitals and universities are high-occupancy settings with vulnerable occupants and the consequences of fire safety failures can be severe.

Cost continues to be the most cited barrier to specifying third party certified fire doors, with 29% of respondents identifying it as a challenge. Positively, this has decreased from 42% in 2023 and 35% in 2022, suggesting that the value and benefits of third party certification are becoming better understood.

Beyond cost, respondents also point to the availability of certified and competent installers (28%) and uncertainty over the data needed to evidence performance (27%) as key obstacles. A further 25% cite a lack of client demand, indicating that greater awareness and education is needed to help end clients fully understand the role that third party certification can play in evidencing compliance, traceability and performance under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Positive shift

Helen Hewitt, CEO of the British Woodworking Federation, observed: “Since the Building Safety Act 2022 came into force, there has been a clear and positive shift towards more evidence-led and accountable decision-making on fire doors. It’s encouraging to see more professionals recognising the value of third party certification and traceability, but awareness alone is not enough. We now need that understanding to translate into more consistent specification, particularly so in higher-risk and higher-occupancy environments where wrong decision can really mean the difference between life and death.”  

The report also explores how competence is assessed for fire door professionals. In the post-Grenfell regulatory environment, competence sits at the heart of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the duties of the ‘Accountable Person’. Incorrect installation or maintenance can compromise even robustly tested and third party certified fire doors, thereby undermining their performance and placing building users at risk.  

Survey findings show that many organisations are still relying on misleading or incomplete indicators of competence: while 51% of respondents review installer qualifications against the ICSG (SLG10) Specialist Timber Fire Door Installer Competence Framework. 45% look for an NVQ or apprenticeship, 42% would accept a diploma or certificate of achievement and 29% an online or e-Learning course as sufficient evidence on their own. With the over-reliance on short courses and attendance certificates, there’s ongoing confusion about what individual competence looks like in practice.

Competence must be evidenced

Helen Hewitt explained: “Fire doors are life safety-critical products so competence should never be assumed. It must be evidenced through clear demonstration of skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours aligned to robust frameworks developed by the Industry Competence Steering Group’s Sector-Led Group 10: Installers and Trades.”  

Further, Hewitt said: “Our research highlights a clear need to distinguish more effectively between education and training and evidence with competence. While training programmes such as e-Learning courses or certificates of achievement play an important role in building knowledge and supporting professional development, they don’t in themselves demonstrate occupational competence.”  

Hewitt added: “Currently, these terms are often used interchangeably, which can lead to confusion. Education provides learners with understanding and skills, but true competence is evidenced through practical application and assessment in real work settings. Qualifications such as apprenticeships and NVQs are designed to measure this as they require individuals to demonstrate their ability to perform consistently and effectively in their role. Greater clarity is needed to ensure that education, while valuable, is not mistaken for verified competence.”  

In addition, Hewitt commented: “The correct installation and maintenance of a fire door is fundamental to it performing its life-saving role. On that basis, we must treat competence as a measurable requirement. Through our ongoing work with the Sector-Led Group 10, we’re committed to raising competency standards across the fire door supply chain.”

Required standards  

The research findings reinforce the British Woodworking Federation Fire Door Alliance’s mission to ensure that every fire door and door set in the UK should meet required standards throughout its service life and be supported by competent individuals with properly evidenced practice.  

The British Woodworking Federation Fire Door Alliance plays a crucial role in developing competence frameworks, promoting campaigns such as ‘Be Certain, Be Certified’ and helping specifiers and duty holders alike to identify trusted manufacturers and providers through its Find a Member directory.

*Further information is available online at https://firedoors.bwf.org.uk/competence-certification-and-compliance/