Third-Party Certification
Proof of a fire door’s performance is essential in protecting the lives of building occupants. But does a one-off test result mean that fire doors are fit for purpose? No. To be certain, fire doors should be certified.
Third-party certification of fire doors and doorsets provides crucial evidence that a fire door, when correctly installed and maintained, is fit for purpose and complies with fire door regulations, designed to protect lives and property.
Offering traceability throughout the construction supply chain, including important information about the door’s component parts, fire door third-party certification is a reassuring way to ensure that a fire door will perform as designed in the event of a fire.
What is Third-Party Certification and what does it Involve?
Whether you are a landlord, a building manager in the public or private sector, an architect or building designer, knowing that a fire door will perform as it should is critical. A fire test report alone does not prove this.
Fire door third-party certification means that the door manufacturer or processor is audited by an independent third-party organisation to provide evidence that the product is tested appropriately and produced to a consistent standard. This gives verification of product performance and reassurance over consistency and quality.
The Process
Fire Testing
A full-sized fire door assembly is tested in accordance with BS 476: Part 22 or BS EN 1634-1 at a UKAS accredited test facility so you can be certain of it’s performance and the scope of certification.
Manufacturing Process
The fire door manufacturers, or licensed processors are audited by a UKAS accredited certification organisation. This means you can be certain that manufacturing and management processes deliver consistency in fire door production.
Regular Audits
The fire door is subjected to regular scutiny to be certain that the test results are repeatable and not a one-off result.
Be Certain, Be Certified
In April 2021, The British Woodworking Federation Fire Door Alliance launched an awareness campaign, Be Certain, Be Certified, to highlight the importance of third-party certification of fire doors in improving fire safety standards across the UK. The campaign addresses a “clear lack of understanding” over what certification is and the vital role it plays in protecting lives.
September 2023
Have we Lived up to the Standards on Fire Door Safety?
In the year after the Building Safety Act became law, awareness of the benefits of fire door third-party certification is growing, but the proportion of certified fire doors in use has dropped slightly, new research for the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Fire Door Alliance has shown.
In March 2022, the BWF Fire Door Alliance conducted a survey of 1,000 people with responsibility for fire door specification, installation and maintenance across the UK to assess understanding of the Building Safety Act. The results have been published in our new report.