A critical reminder has been issued to industry professionals responsible for emergency exit and external panic units to check they have the achieved the correct level of third-party certification.
A leading provider of testing, inspection, and certification services warns that many these doorsets, which are safety critical construction products, may not have the right level of third-party certification meaning they are non-compliant and as such, illegal.
The warning follows recent scrutiny from industry bodies such as the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) and the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI), who have been informed of the situation by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).
This means that building owners, facilities managers, specifiers, architects, construction professionals, and other relevant stakeholders need to ensure the doorsets they are specifying, purchasing and installing have been third-party certified by an accredited laboratory.
While it is the responsibility of manufacturers to confirm their products are correctly certified and have a Certificate of Constancy of Performance (CoCoP), industry professionals have a responsibility to select third-party certified products. Receiving a CoCoP allows the product to then obtain a conformity marking (CE or UKCA). Without this, doors cannot be legally sold on the market, posing significant financial and reputational risks to industry professionals who purchase them, as well as putting people at risk.
"Simply having third-party certification for individual elements and hardware of the panic or emergency exit doors is insufficient," warns Michael Skelding, DHF’s General Manager & Secretary. "It is the responsibility of professionals in this industry to make certain that manufacturers have certified the entire doorset to meet compliance standards. Without this, they risk repercussions from the OPSS such as building closures, along with severe reputational damage.
“While the DHF and GAI have noted that many doorsets are non-compliant, we recognise that the majority are not deliberately breaking the law – it is more an issue of lack of awareness. It is now essential that the word is spread so that industry professionals can ensure they select products from manufacturers who have obtained third-party certification.”
Mark West, Principal Product Assessor at Warringtonfire, states: "Ensuring the doorsets you purchase and install are fully certified is not only a legal obligation but also a commitment to safety and quality. Demanding to see evidence of certification means that you will be providing safe, compliant doorsets to your projects, protecting building users and your professional reputation.”
