Fire Door Safety Week 2022 has officially begun. Launched in 2013 in response to fire door neglect, Fire Door Safety Week is a ‘mass market’ awareness campaign to increase public understanding of the vital role that fire doors play in protecting life and property.

The campaign is managed by the British Woodworking Federation and is supported by a number of partners, including the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign, the National Fire Chief’s Council and London Fire Brigade.

The main objectives of the campaign include raising awareness of the critical role of fire doors, drawing attention to specific issues such as poor installation and maintenance, and encouraging building owners and users to check the operation and condition of their fire doors and to report those that aren’t satisfactory.

It also aims to link together the initiatives of many organisations with common interests in the fire door and passive fire protection industries and engage and educate people, helping the whole building industry and every property owner to understand the correct specification, supply, installation, operation, inspection and maintenance.

Education

To make the start of Fire Door Safety Week, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland is urging those involved with the specification, installation, and maintenance of fire doors to educate themselves by reviewing its comprehensive Fire Door Guide.

Brian Sofley, Managing Director at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, explains: “We understand the pressure the industry feels to deliver services faster than ever, at the lowest price point possible. However, this could potentially lead to specification errors with fire safety products, causing ongoing installation and maintenance issues.

“As fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building, the impact that this can have can be devasting, and in some instances mean the loss of life.

“That’s why we are looking to impart our extensive knowledge on this subject this Fire Door Safety Week, and ultimately help to make buildings safer now and in the future – aligning with the objectives of the Building Safety Act 2022, which we wholeheartedly support.”

Sofley adds: “Our Fire Door Guide has been created to offer guidance on specifying, installing, maintaining and inspecting fire certified doorsets in residential and commercial buildings, and we hope that it can help raise industry standards and provide greater awareness.

“We pride ourselves on our end-to-end approach and being a helping hand at every stage of the journey. From fire door specification using BIM software Openings Studio™, right through to installation and ongoing maintenance and inspections, our team is here to assist in every capacity.”