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PRO INSTALLER JUNE 2015
PRO BUSINESS
@proinstaller1
Warning over poor fire
door installations
The warning about the state of existing and newly installed fire doors comes on the third anniversary of the creation
of the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS), Europe’s first qualification and inspection scheme for fire door safety.
Enquiries to FDIS from organisations looking for fire door
inspectors have doubled over
the last 12 months. FDIS has
become the centre of excellence for property owners and
building managers looking for
competent, qualified people
to inspect their fire doors and
help them meet their legal obligations under the Regulatory
Reform (Fire Safety) Order.
Clive Reilly was the first person
to qualify as a fire door inspector
after undergoing an independent
assessment by Exova Warrington
fire in 2012.
He says: “There is no doubt that
many people are finally waking up
to the need to have their fire doors
inspected. FDIS has built a market
for competent people who have
a detailed knowledge of fire door
requirements, and it has created a
robust and systematic inspection
process that can be repeated from
door to door.
“But there is still much more to
be done: I regularly come across
organisations that are either
unaware of their obligations
under current fire legislation or
who simply choose to do noth-
ing. Some do make an attempt
to inspect and maintain their fire
doors, but often use untrained,
inexperienced staffs who do not
have detailed inspection criteria
to follow.
“While these organisations are
to be commended for making the
effort, it is clear that many of the
defects that can be found on fire
doors may not be apparent to
the untrained eye. This can lead
to a false sense of security and
a resultant failure to undertake
appropriate action.”
A review of fire door inspections
undertaken by FDIS certificated
fire door inspectors earlier this
year revealed the extent of the
problems being found on site:
• Over 61% of fire doors inspected
had problems with fire or smoke
seals
• More than a third had incorrect
signage
• 230 fire doors inspected had gaps
bigger than 3mm between the
door and its frame (as specified in
BS9999:2008 and BS8214:2008)
• More than 20% had unsuitable
hinges
• Almost 1 in 6 had damage to the
door leaf
Increasing evidence is also
coming to light of newly installed fire doors which are not
being fitted in accordance with
manufacturers’ instructions, relevant fire test evidence or even
in accordance with industry best
practice.
Clive Reilly says: “It is not
uncommon to find newly installed fire doors with hardware
which has fixings missing or
with unsuitable frames. Usually
the building manager will think
these doors have been installed
correctly and will perform as
required in the event of a fire.
It is only when, or even if, the
doors are inspected by someone
who knows what to look for
that these problems are found,
by which time they will have to
pay for remediation or replacement.”
Source: www.fdis.co.uk
Scheme aiming to put an
end to rogue traders
Construction firms are signing up to a government-approved scheme that is
aiming to put an end to rogue tradesmen getting away with poor workmanship.
More than 250 builders
have so far agreed to
the Home Improvements Guarantee, which
prevents them getting
paid until a customer
is totally satisfied with
their work.
Under the scheme, money
to pay for building work is
kept in a secure “holding”
account, rather than being
handed over at the outset of
a project.
The money is held in a
HSBC account protected
by regulators, Transpact,
until the work is completed.
Homeowners then sign off
the payment, but only when
they are happy with the
quality of the work.
Builders must continue
working until the customer
is completely happy and
an independent surveyor
can also be called in as a
last resort to rule on any
dispute.
Tradesmen signed up to
the scheme will be listed at
Homeimprovementsguarantee.co.uk and will have
to pay 3% of money earned
from referrals.
Those that have already
registered have been vetted
and have agreed to the
terms and conditions, with
some already recommending the service to customers.
Electronics engineer Harvey Ellingham decided to
set up the scheme when his
parents lost £23,000 to socalled “cowboy builders”.
He said the service could
protect consumers when
they have renovations,
house extensions and loft
and garage conversions.
He added that it can also
cover work on kitchens,
bathrooms, roofs, plumbing,
electrics and landscaping.
Mr Ellingham said the
scheme allowed customers
to withhold payment until
work is completed, while
also providing builders with
proof that consumers have
the money to pay for work
when it is done.
Source: www.citb.co.uk
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