How Warringtonfire is ensuring safety through certification in maintaining secure information boxes
Iain Hoey
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Mark West, Principal Product Assessor for Warringtonfire’s Certisecure scheme, explores the critical role of third-party certification in maintaining secure information boxes and ensuring safety for high-rise buildings under new regulations
Following The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, from 23 January 2023 having a secure information box (SIB) on the premises is now a legal requirement for existing high-rise residential buildings in England.
What makes SIBs so important?
Secure information boxes (SIBs), though not new to the market, are now legally required in England.
These boxes are essential for the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) during building fires.
The regulations stipulate that ‘responsible persons’ in high-rise residential buildings must install a secure information box in a readily accessible location.
This box should contain critical fire safety information, including an Emergency Response Pack (ERP).
The ERP should include, among other items, a log book, an orientation plan showing the building’s location relative to surrounding buildings and water supplies, a building layout plan, up-to-date floor plans, information on residents with mobility, cognitive, or sensory impairments, and an evacuation strategy for the building.
For more details on secure information boxes and the ERP, fire safety professionals and ‘responsible persons’ should consult the Code of Practice from the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).
Access to SIBs should be restricted to the FRS and/or the facility manager due to the highly sensitive information they contain.
This has created a need for high-quality, secure boxes that are well-maintained in accordance with the regulations and the Fire Safety Order.
SIBs are categorised based on public access levels.
Category A SIBs are mounted externally on a building or in the common areas of a block of flats accessible to the public.
Category B SIBs are installed internally in a secure area where the FRS has established a rapid access protocol or an alternative arrangement.
Category A SIBs should be designed to provide enhanced security and protection against vandalism due to their public accessibility.
The necessary security levels can be verified through testing and certification by Warringtonfire’s Security Technical Schedule STS 205, with a resistance level of at least BR2 for Category A SIBs and at least BR1 for Category B SIBs.
Fire safety professionals should understand the importance of industry standards when it comes to critical fire safety building products such as SIBs, especially with the more stringent security test requirements for those that fall into Category A.
As more facility managers of high-rise buildings in England look to install these boxes to move in line with legal requirements, it’s crucial that fire safety professionals that may be advising on product specification are clear on what sets them apart, and that comes in the form of additional testing and third-party certification.
SIBs – What to look for
To have peace of mind that SIBs are able to withstand being attacked, third-party testing to the STS 205 standard conducted by a UKAS-accredited test laboratory is crucial.
Passing this standard demonstrates that the SIB can resist tampering and vandalism in real-world conditions, ensuring the contents remain safe.
This testing ensures the boxes are compliant, secure, and fit for purpose, providing peace of mind to residents in high-rise buildings.
Following testing, certification specialists, such as Warringtonfire, can provide third-party certification for the SIB.
This is proof that the product has gone beyond just a physical test.
In particular, fire safety professionals should advocate for certification that aligns with the official police security initiative, Secured By Design.
This recognised standard for security products helps reduce vandalism and crime, ensuring the SIB adheres to best industry practices.
Importantly, certification typically only remains valid if manufacturers comply with the ongoing requirements of the certification scheme.
This usually involves the third-party certification provider conducting follow-up factory visits and annual repeat security testing to ensure the product maintains the performance levels defined in their certification scope.
This ongoing process keeps certification up to date, and gives peace of mind to those that are specifying the product.
Urban expansion means greater demand for SIBs testing and certification
As high-rise properties become increasingly common, especially in space-constrained cities, and with fire safety becoming a more pressing issue, the demand for third-party certification providers and test laboratories will rise.
To meet this need, Warringtonfire is investing in a new 101,000sqft laboratory at Birchwood Park, Warrington.
Scheduled to open in 2025, the new laboratory will feature state-of-the-art furnaces and equipment for a wide range of fire resistance tests.
The facility will support a team of 200 experts in testing, technical, and certification roles, making it one of the world’s largest teams of fire technical specialists.
Additionally, the certification department will expand to meet the growing demand for third-party certification.
Through additional certification and testing options available, fire safety professionals can make informed decisions when selecting these critical building safety products.
