UK Doorsets one of first to attain certification for security, fire & smoke control

Secured by Design (SBD), the national police crime prevention initiative, has been a staunch campaigner for improved security in buildings for over 30 years. As a consequence of the tragic events of the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, SBD announced that as part of its membership it was requiring doors that are either described as fire doors, or where fire performance is declared or implied, to have third-party certification for both security and fire performance.

SBD have subsequently revisited the possible life-threatening characteristics of fire rated doorsets, as asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation is the most common cause of deaths in flats when a fire occurs. Therefore, with effect from 1st June 2022, SBD will require all member companies with doorsets listed on their SBD schedule that are fire rated and that are required by UK Building Regulations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) to have smoke control properties for the intended installation - e.g. flat entrance doorsets to be certificated for the following attributes – Security, Fire and Smoke Control.

SBD are adamant that any doorset that carries SBD accreditation should be fit for purpose in all declared characteristics, but especially those that are life critical such as fire, security and smoke control.

Ruari Robertson, Secured by Design, said: “I am delighted that UK Doorsets Ltd are one of the first of our valued member companies to attain this certification and is a testament to the strong working relationship that exists between SBD and all its member companies, who will undoubtedly follow suit in achieving these attributes.”

Simon Chapman, UK Doorsets commented: “We are proud to be one of the first businesses to achieve this enhanced triple certification for our SBD doorsets. As a business we have always tried to be at the forefront of safety compliance, ensuring all our doors and doorsets achieve the best performance for their designated environments. 

“We understand fully the danger and importance of smoke control in the event of a fire, so had already undergone third-party testing to guarantee our doors would perform if this occurred. This certification endorses that and will hopefully raise the bar with other manufacturers in the industry when producing these potentially lifesaving products.”

UK Doorsets is part of the Midland Building Products Ltd Group (MBP), the UK’s leading independent stockist of doors from all major suppliers, and a market-leading manufacturer of standard and bespoke fire doors, doorsets and glazed screens. 

Located in the heart of the West Midlands, MBP the company has continued to maintain steady growth since its inception in 1991, and with its heritage firmly rooted in joinery, MBP have become experts within the door industry.

MBP carry a large stock of standard fire doors and can tailor for any non-standard requirements through their on-site joinery and glazing facilities.  This unique set up allows the company to handle projects of any size, from the smallest self-build project to multi-million pound contracts. 

You can find out more about UK Doorsets and their range of Secured by Design accredited products here: https://www.securedbydesign.com/member-companies/sbd-members?view=companydetail&account=0011i00000JpvnHAAR