Premium Steel Doors Manufactured in Britain
Following recent announcements stating the removal of BS 476 from Approved Document B by 2029, many people are wondering what the impact will be on fire-rated door-sets.
The good news is that for Strongdor-tested fire doors, nothing will change! All our Fire doors, both internal and external are tested to EN1634, with external doors all being UKCA and CE marked.
The bad news is that many doors which may technically still be compliant now, will quickly lose their certification. For example, if a manufacturer has a fire door tested to BS 476, whose current testing runs out in a year, it is unlikely that this will be renewed and will require full re-testing in order to be compliant.
This is especially important when specifying products, as lots of manufacturers door products will stop being fire rated under BS 476 until retesting and a certification journey is taken.
Will All Fire Doors Need to be Replaced?
From the advice we have seen so far, the removal of BS 476 – Part 22 applies only to all new build and renovation projects. There is no legislation currently requiring you to update existing door installations.
What is EN1634 and BS 476?
They are both British standards for testing non load bearing elements of a building i.e. Steel Doors. EN1634 is the new standard and from 2nd September 2029 will be the only one accepted.
BS 476 on the other hand was created in 1987, therefore we welcome this change in legislation to the up to date standard, ensuring safety and compliance across the fire door market.
Why is this happening?
A statement released by Rushanara Ali, “We are completing the withdrawal of the outdated National Classes fire testing standards, ending a long period of dual specification in favour of the more robust European standard. This implements the recommendation, made in the Hackitt Report, for a clearer, transparent and effective testing regime.”
Summary
We welcome any changes that make our spaces, homes and workplaces safer. The move to discontinue an outdated standard is a positive step forward in improving fire safety across the UK.
