Make sure that you are getting the Fire Rating that you (and your client) are paying-for.

It’s disappointing (but not entirely surprising) that post-Grenfell, we are still finding suppliers in the market who supply screens and doors without definitive Fire-Test Evidence to back up their assertions that their products will perform adequately.

The whole point of Fire-Rated doors and glazed screens, along with other passive fire protection products, is to protect lives and property in the event of a fire in a building.

These products are the last line of protection between the building occupants, temperatures of near 1000DegC and poisonous smoke. They should be correctly specified, detailed and installed to the correct standard to achieve their aim. They are expensive – but they are designed to do a critical job when fire breaks out, they will save lives. It’s money well spent.

Without the correct paperwork and supporting evidence for the installation of passive (and possibly active) fire protection measures, the Responsible Person is at risk of prosecution under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Act, 2005.

So why do so many clients, Architects and contractors still not insist on seeing definitive, authoritative Fire Test Evidence to back up the claims of Firescreen installers? Even in this Post-Grenfell age, we still see installations of glazed systems which are of doubtful quality and performance, often supported by a piece of paper which is almost worthless.

For your information – if a physical Fire Test has been carried out on a product or system, there will be a Fire Test report. This will normally be published by the Test-House, which will either be a UKAS-accredited institution or one of the well-known Continental houses, such as IFT Rosenheim, Efectis France, IBS, Deutsch Institut fur Bautechnik, CTICM or Gryfitlab. To be acceptable in UK and Europe the Fire Test should have been conducted in accordance with EN1634-1 or in the UK the old BS476-22 is acceptable.

A Fire Test Report is the top level of Fire Test Evidence and has no time limit on its validity. However, it is common practice to combine two Reports of physical tests (perhaps evidence for a door system which had been tested with one type of glass infill, with a FR glass which had been tested with a different door system) into an “Assessment” of the new combination of products.

An Assessment has a validity of 5 years and cannot legally be relied-upon if it is more than 5 years old. If you are asked to rely on an Assessment, you would be well-advised to get a copy of the supporting Fire Test Reports that go with it, and which will be referenced in the Assessment document itself. Do not rely on an “in-house” “certificate” for the supplier themselves, they must be able to provide independent back-up proof of performance.

If you do commission Fire Rated doors and screens (or any other form of passive fire protection, for that matter) please make sure that you see and retain a copy of current, in-date Fire Test Evidence, which is relevant to the product and its relationship within the building. Or better still, have the supply and installation carried-out by a company who has independent, 3rd-party accreditation, such as the FIRAS scheme, run and administered by Warrington Fire.

It’s worth remembering that if there is a fire in a building that you have handed-over and the passive fire protection measures fail, it is quite possible that you could face prosecution. If there’s a death involved, it could result in a prison sentence. If you’ve saved a few pounds by appointing a 2nd-rate Fire Screen installer (or internal partition installer or window/curtainwall installer), who didn’t have the correct Fire Test Evidence to prove that his product was appropriate and fit for purpose and fitted correctly, you might need to be worried.

AEL have full FIRAS registration for supply & fix projects, where AEL is employed to design, manufacture, fix & glaze fire-resisting doors, screens or facades.

FIRAS is an independent endorsement of competency (by Exova – Warrington Fire) in the installation of Fire‐Rated products and systems; proof that the installation will provide the fire protection required. It only applies where AEL complete the installation and glazing contract. It does not apply where any of the site works (installation and/or glazing, for example) are carried out by others.

FIRAS is a voluntary, third party certification for installation contractors of both passive and active fire protection systems, operated by Warrington Certification, and accredited by UKAS to EN45011.

A comprehensive listing of companies which have FIRAS certification including the scope of their certification can be viewed in the online FIRAS Register. FIRAS certificated contractors are subject to an annual audit of their offices and ongoing, random surveillance site inspections where competence and workmanship are assessed.

FIRAS certification started in 1994 and has been instrumental in improving standards of installation of fire protection products/systems to the benefit of the construction industry and the clients it serves.

It takes time, money and effort to attain (and retain) FIRAS‐accreditation, but it is a clear demonstration that we are fully committed to providing the very best finished product, that will do exactly what it is supposed to do in terms of Fire Protection. From your client’s point of view it shows that you have employed a fully‐competent Firescreen contractor and that short cuts, compromise and half‐measures will not be accepted.

On completion of a supply, fix and glaze installation, AEL will issue Certificates of Conformity for all contracts completed within the scope of the company’s FIRAS accreditation. Copies will be issued to the customer, to Warrington Fire and a copy held by AEL.

We see this as a powerful tool for you to use to show your clients that any Fire‐Rated installation completed by AEL on your behalf has been correctly manufactured and installed using the necessary skills, knowledge and experience as required by the CDM regulations.

Qualisteelcoat is an independent accreditation of quality, awarded to powder coating and wet-paint applicators who have proven their competence and excellence in applying decorative finishes to steel products.

AEL are the only architectural steel product fabricator/finisher in the UK who can offer this international quality label for powder coating on untreated steel or steel which has been Hot Dip Galvanized, Thermal Zinc Sprayed or electro-plate galvanised. Paint finishes by other fabricators and PPC applicators will probably be carried out using Qualicoat-approved materials. Qualicoat is a standard designed for finishing aluminium products, not steel, so it is completely inappropriate to associate Qualicoat with steel and, importantly, these materials and application processes will not be warranted for use on steel substrates.

AEL can provide Qualisteelcoat guarantees, which ensure exceptional anti-corrosion protection and longevity of finish.

In order to attain the Qualisteelcoat mark, AEL undergo regular independant audits to show that our processes and customer service have met or exceeded a range of key performance indicators. These include full compliance with rigorous standards and technical specifications, commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our processes and continuous in-house monitoring of quality standards as well as regular independent inspections.

AEL are a Dow Corning “Quality Bond” approved applicator and our expertise is based on the experience of Dow Corning supporting structural glazing projects for over 30 years and the “Quality Bond” mark ensures the ultimate in quality control, quality assurance and product application by our specialist silicone fabricators and applicators fully trained and regularly audited by the world leader in this sophisticated architectural technique.

As part of Dow Corning’s “Quality Bond” network, AEL enjoy priority technical support for project calculations and laboratory testing. This ensures that the full review of all structural joint designs and the necessary approval of substrates and contact materials takes the shortest time possible

Our expertise also allows us to produce Fire Rated internal screens, doors and external curtainwalls with no external capping or beads to retain the glass. This allows completely seamless Fire Rated glazing, which a unique offer in the UK.

AEL have for many years been a specialist manufacturer and installer of Schueco Fire Rated and Enhanced aluminium glazing systems.

In order to be allowed to supply these systems, AEL must ensure that every person in the process (Estimator, Draughtsman, Fabricator & Installer) has been specifically-trained in all aspects of the system in question. This training requires refreshing on a regular basis by attendance on product-specific courses run by Schueco.

AEL constantly update the training of our employees, as well as sending all relevant new employees on courses. Schueco Fire Expert and Bullet/Blast Expert courses are a small but significant part of the continual training that takes place within AEL.