The Government recently announced that EN 13501 European classification standards for fire testing will replace the National classification (British Standards) in Approved Document B from 2029. The has raised concerns amongst those responsible for specifying and maintaining fire doors as to whether products tested under British Standards currently meet industry requirements.
While this transition has raised questions, it’s crucial to emphasise that British Standard-tested fire doors remain fit for purpose.
So, how can we as an industry reassure and support our fire door customers ahead of the upcoming changes?
What prompted the transition?
The UK Government’s ambition to establish a single classification system aligns with recommendations from the Hackitt Report, which called for greater clarity and transparency in building safety. The withdrawal of BS 476 aligns with this, addressing areas for improvement highlighted by the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
The Grenfell Inquiry exposed weaknesses in the testing and classification systems for reaction to fire, particularly concerning exterior insulation and cladding.
However, no similar issues were identified with the fire resistance testing of flat entrance doors. Fire doors tested to the British Standard under BS 476-22 were found to meet the required standards, and no concerns were raised about their performance.
There was, however, a concern raised that while composite fire doors claimed this level of performance, it was later found they could not provide more than 20 minutes fire resistance. This in turn triggered MHCLG’s investigation into the reliability of fire doors.
We believe confusion has stemmed from conflating the broader issues around fire resistance with the reliability of timber fire doors tested under British Standards. It’s crucial to separate these concerns and reassure customers about the dependability of British Standard tested fire doors.
Providing reassurance to fire door customers
British Standards remain effective and valid for testing fire doors, until the implementation of the European classification system in four years.
For this reason, it’s important to reassure fire door specifiers as well as those responsible for maintaining fire doors that the British Standard for testing fire doors continues to meet the necessary safety and performance requirements.
To do this we can share key information about the performance of timber fire doors. For example, during an MHCLG investigation following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the reliability of timber fire doors was evaluated. All the timber fire doors tested passed the 30-minute standard in both directions. This led to the investigation concluding timber fire doors perform consistently when tested for fire resistance and pass the 30-minute required standard when manufactured to specification. MHCLG stated that there were “no issues with the consistency of fire resistance performance of the doors tested”.
For BWF members who had their fire doors involved in the tests, their products were found to exceed the 30-minute requirement, and on average, fire-resistance time was 46 minutes.
This robust evidence from Government testing demonstrates the performance of timber fire doors tested to British Standards and provides reassurance of their ability to hold back fire for the stated time.
Understanding the key differences
When speaking with customers and industry colleagues, it’s important to also share the detail behind the changes and how the fire resistance tests vary:
To further enhance its effectiveness, the European classification is currently under review.
Changes on the horizon
The timeline for the testing transition may be altered by further industry legislation.
For instance, the European Commission may develop new product standards for fire doors under the new EU Construction Product Regulation (CPR) processes. This standard – replacing EN 14351-1, EN 14351-2, EN 13241 and EN 16034 – could be available before 2029.
Changes to UK Construction Products Regulations, to Building Regulations or the UK Government’s decision on whether to align with the new EU CPR may also impact on the transition timeline.
Supporting the industry through the transition
The BWF is actively working with industry partners to provide clarity and reassurance to BWF members, fire door manufacturers and fire door customers to support a smooth transition.
Through a proactive thought leadership campaign and ongoing industry and Government liaison, we strive to raise awareness and engage key regulatory bodies like the National Standards Body BSI and the European Standards Body CEN to ensure that evolving European standards maintain the high level of safety and reliability.
As the transition toward the new European standard progresses, the BWF will continue to support its members, providing clear guidance and practical resources to help businesses adapt with confidence which in turn, will provide reassurance to customers.
At this stage, we are committed to reinforcing the message that there is no requirement or evidence to replace existing, reliable timber fire doors that can show they meet British Standards.