The BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset scheme was established in 1997, driven by a unifying vision among industry experts and leading manufacturers to improve the standard of fire doors being sold in the UK and to educate those involved in their production, specification and installation.
15 years on and BWF-CERTIFIRE members now supply more than 75% of the fire doors installed in the UK. The membership has grown to include licensed converters of fire doors, suppliers of fire door components, builders merchants involved in the sale of fire doors, and contractors working on the installation of fire doors through the FIRAS Scheme.
In the UK, all fire door designs should be tested to BS 476 part 22 or to European standard EN1634 part 1. Currently fire door manufacturers can claim compliance through three different methods: Self Declaration, Test Certificate and Third-Party Certification. However, understanding the critical differences between these three methods is increasingly important to specifiers and contractors, as not all options guarantee performance in life-threatening situations.
Self-Declaration enables the manufacturer to claim a door, doorset or component meets the standards required. While understandably a very popular method, this clearly is not a guarantee and does not ensure a quality product.
The Test Certificate route involves showing the purchaser that there is a record of the company’s products being tested. Unfortunately though there are shortfalls with this form of evidence. Was the test conducted independently? Was the sample tested taken from a random selection? How old is the test certificate? These factors may again question the quality of the product.
Third-Party Certification provides a guarantee throughout the process of a fire door’s life as it is tested from design to installation, and once installed is tested again on an annual basis.
To prove a fire door or doorset complies with these high standards, manufacturers who are members of the BWF-CERTIFIRE scheme are provided with a third-party accredited label. The label shows the manufacturer’s name and telephone number, the certificate number and sequential number – all unique numbers providing full traceability and accountably. The label also shows conformity to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, creating a simpler way of demonstrating that the fire doors are safe, if installed and maintained correctly. This is of particular importance to the building owner as they will need to prove this certification.
It’s essential that building contractors, too often pressurised into ‘value engineered’ specifications, are fully aware of the implications of not choosing a third-party certified fire door and the consequences this may have for those occupying the building.
In order for fire door manufacturers to become members of the BWF-CERTIFIRE Scheme, they must meet strict requirements including fire door designs being tested to BS 476 part 22 or EN1634 Part 1, fire doors being produced within the scope of the fire test data sheet, audits undertaken annually to ensure the quality and performance of the fire door, a BWF-CERTIFIRE scheme label attached to every door produced and a detailed installation instruction to every fire door producer to ensure correct manufacturing and/or installation.
Only through these strict measures and an emphasis on third-party certification can the quality and standards of fire doors ensure our safety.
If you are specifying fire doors in your buildings, make sure you read our Fire Door fact cards, or call our free advice line on 0844 209 2614.