Fire doors from five
suppliers have now been identified as failing to meet requisite fire
performance standard following an on-going investigation by the Ministry of
Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
This highlights
broader potential failings within the industry and the Government is taking
immediate action to address this.
MHCLG began
investigating the fire door industry after it was found that a glazed,
composite fire door from Grenfell Tower manufactured by Manse Masterdor failed
a 30 minute fire resistance test after approximately 15 minutes.
Issues were
subsequently identified with doors produced by Masterdor Limited (the successor
business to Manse Masterdor). Investigations have continued and in the last few
days doors from 3 additional manufacturers have failed fire resistance testing
when tested on both sides.
MHCLG is writing to
all building control bodies highlighting the need to check that existing
building regulations guidance on new fire door installations is followed. The
guidance sets out the tests which should be performed – including testing doors
on both sides – in order to meet building regulations requirements.
The Secretary of
State for Communities has instructed major fire door suppliers to meet this
week and agree a clear plan of action to tackle the failings which have been
identified, with weekly reports on progress.
The government’s
Independent Expert Panel and the National Fire Chiefs Council have advised that
the additional risk to public safety is low, as even when not meeting full
resistance standards fire doors will provide some protection from the spread of
fire and are part of layered fire protection systems within buildings.
James Brokenshire
said: "While the department’s investigations are on-going, I now have
enough evidence to suggest that there is a broader issue across the fire door
market. That is why I am calling on suppliers to meet this week and provide
reassurance that they are gripping this issue properly.
"I want to see
a clear plan of action to rectify existing problems and ensure such failures
are not repeated in the future. Whilst our Expert Panel assures me the risk
remains low I want to assure the public that the government is doing everything
it can to ensure construction products are of the highest safety standards and
accurately tested and marketed."
The Secretary of
State has also asked National Trading Standards to oversee local investigations
which are taking place. MHCLG will also work with third party certification
bodies to develop minimum standards of assurance to provide building owners
with greater confidence in the fire doors they purchase.
The products which
have failed government tests to date were glazed and unglazed doors supplied by
Manse Masterdor and Masterdor Limited and glazed composite doors supplied by
Specialist Building Products Limited, trading as Permadoor; Solar Windows Limited;
and Birtley Group Limited, trading as Bowater by Birtley.
All doors that are
known to have failed to meet the necessary standards have been withdrawn from
the market and the department has informed local trading standards of its
findings. Each manufacturer has co-operated fully with the government’s
investigations, which are continuing.
