The Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has once again endorsed its commitment to fire safety by supporting Fire Door Safety Week, the national awareness campaign first launched in 2013 in response to widespread neglect of fire doors.
The Fire Door Safety Week initiative was created to raise public understanding of the vital role that fire doors play in protecting life and property. The campaign is owned, managed and run by the British Woodworking Federation and is supported by a number of partners, including the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign, the National Fire Chief’s Council and the London Fire Brigade. This year’s campaign will take place from 22 to 26 September 2025.
For a fire door to perform effectively, every stage must be right. From correct product manufacture and quality standards to proper installation and ongoing maintenance, the detail matters. How fire doors are specified, managed and used can quite literally mean the difference between life and death for building occupants. Something as simple as propping a fire door open can prevent it from doing its job in the event of a fire.
Responsibility does not lie with one group alone, however. Manufacturers, installers, building owners and users all share the duty of ensuring fire doors remain fit for purpose. This principle of shared responsibility is the driving force behind Fire Door Safety Week.
As part of its ongoing commitment, DHF has recently launched the Ironmongery Manufacturers’ Guidance Document, developed with the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI). This new industry-led best practice guide provides clear, consistent and comprehensive product information for fire door hardware placed on the market in the UK that is not already covered by harmonised or designated standards. Developed over more than a year in collaboration with the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the document supports manufacturers, distributors and own branders in meeting their obligations and ensuring safe, effective product selection, installation and maintenance.
DHF has also partnered with BRE to deliver a series of one-day training courses on fire door safety, inspection and ongoing maintenance. With some contractors still falling short in their inspections, it is essential facilities and property managers fully understand their responsibilities in relation to fire door maintenance.
“We are, once again, very pleased to support Fire Door Safety Week, and continue to back its on-going objectives,” says DHF’s Director of Commercial Operations, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “Through our guidance work, industry partnerships and training initiatives, we will continue to raise awareness of the crucial role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property.”
For more information about Fire Door Safety Week, visit www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk
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