It’s time to put the myth to bed. The Fire Regulations governing the sale and installation of fire doors are quite clear. A fire rated door is only a fire rated door if it meets the regulation directives and has been produced by a company that has been tested, approved and certified in accordance with BS 476.
Many companies will sell “Fire Doors” and it is your responsibility to check that these are actually Fire Rated and supported by a bon-a-fide Fire Certificate.
The effects on a business that installs fire doors that do not conform to the regulations and possess a BS476 certificate can be catastrophic. Not only will you invalidate your insurance policy should anything go wrong, but you become personally liable for the consequences and apart from the moral issues if someone gets hurt or even killed, the financial costs in legal fees, compensation and damages would be born by you and your family.
Serious cases concerning fire always make headline news and all too often fire escape doors play some part in the event. As potentially, the supplier of those doors, the Fire Inspectorate will focus on your business, which in turn may lead to detailed scrutiny of other fire door installations done by your company. Will they stand up to the test. If they don’t you may face prosecution and ultimately imprisonment.
North Valley Metal Co, have been supplying Fire Rated, certified, doors for many years. All our fire rated doors are manufactured to BS 476 Part 22: Clause 8 in accordance with the Fire Resistance Test 1987. Our best advice to you our customers is DON’T PLAY WITH FIRE, make sure the doors you are installing conform or it could be you who gets burned.