The Door and Hardware Federation - Experts & Thought Leaders

Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has announced the launch of the Level 2 Award in Dock Leveller Safety, with The Association of Loading and Elevating Equipment Manufacturers (ALEM), will take place on Tuesday 3rd October at the trade association’s Head Office-based academy in Shuttington. Onsite guide The course will be presented by DHF’s Senior Training & Compliance Officer, Steve Hill, and comprises six units and a multiple choice exam. The Level 2 Award can be formally accredited through ABBE.  To support the training, an onsite guide has been developed by the two organisations referring to applicable legislation and standards to assist all those installing, commissioning, repairing, and maintaining dock leveller installations, on-site. Safety requirements for Dock Levellers Course will cover the level of safety required to comply with current legislation for Dock Levellers “The course will cover the level of safety required to comply with current legislation for Dock Levellers, covered by BS EN 1398:2009 regardless of whether they are new or existing,” explains DHF’s Commercial Director, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “In particular, it will offer clarity and a greater understanding of, for example, the different types of Dock Levellers and their associated significant hazards, how to identify and specify the safety requirements for Dock Levellers, how to identify the additional safety principles and understand the electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic safety of dock leveller, as well as the requirements for providing essential marking, and instructions for installation, operating & maintenance and inspection of Dock Levellers." Requirements of SMSR Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens adds, "It will also include the requirements for safe and effective maintenance, repair and inspection and information on how to identify residual hazards and understand the process of dealing with non-compliance issues. Delegates will, in addition, obtain the necessary knowledge to identify the requirements of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations (SMSR) in respect of Dock Levellers.” ALEM represents the interests of UK manufacturers and suppliers of loading bay equipment Established in 1973, ALEM represents the interests of UK manufacturers and suppliers of loading bay equipment including dock levellers, scissor lifts, tail lifts and dock shelters. It aims to provide an authoritative representation of the views of its members in negotiation with government departments, the Health & Safety Executive and other organisations. The organisation is synonymous with Compliance, Quality and Confidence. Author's quote  “ALEM identified the need for a dock leveller safety training course and together, we have collaborated to develop and deliver this one-day course,” says ALEM’s President, Richard Spinks.  “We approached DHF because of their experience in course development and delivery of training courses associated with industrial doors. The synergy between dock levellers and industrial doors made it the natural choice to form a long-standing relationship.”

To help support the Fire Door Safety Week 2021 campaign, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland has announced the launch of a new best practice guide - ‘Fire Doorsets’ guide, on how to specify, install, maintain and inspect fire-certified doorsets in residential and commercial buildings. ‘Fire Doorsets’ guide The ‘Fire Doorsets’ best practice guide has been compiled, based on the knowledge and expertise of ASSA ABLOY’s FDIS-trained inspectors, as well as key insights, and information gathered from a range of third-party accreditation bodies, and trade associations, including the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF), the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and Secured By Design (SBD). The best practice guide is intended to help all those responsible for fire safety in residential and commercial environments The best practice guide is intended to help all those responsible for fire safety in residential and commercial environments, such as architects and specifiers, installers, landlords, local authorities, building owners and facilities managers, particularly at a time when fire safety is in the spotlight, due to the national Fire Door Safety Week 2021 campaign. Fire Door Safety Week 2021 campaign Scheduled to run from September 20 - 26, 2021, the Fire Door Safety Week 2021 campaign hopes to raise awareness of the critical role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property. Established by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) and supported by the BWF Fire Door Alliance, the awareness campaign illustrates why it’s crucial to understand the factors that ensure a fire door performs as intended, with product manufacture, quality, installation and maintenance, all playing a part. Eryl Jones, Managing Director of the ASSA ABLOY Door Hardware Group, said “The correct specification, maintenance and management of fire doors can be the difference between life and death for people, not to mention the damage fires can cause to property and valuables. In our new ‘Fire Doorsets’ guide, we tackle all considerations, throughout a fire doorset’s lifecycle.” Empowering fire safety personnel He adds, “From standards, certification and security, to their design, specification and installation, right through to their ongoing usage, maintenance and inspection, our intention is to help empower those responsible for fire safety, with everything that they need to know.” Some of the statistics surrounding fire safety in the United Kingdom (UK) are staggering" Eryl Jones further said, “Some of the statistics surrounding fire safety in the United Kingdom (UK) are staggering. There are 20,000 commercial fires in the United Kingdom every year. Research suggests that the economy has lost £1 billion in GDP and 5,000 jobs from preventable fires in commercial properties. One study found that larger fires in schools cost on average £2.8 million to repair and in some cases, as much as £20 million.” Fire doorsets play critical role in protecting life, property He adds, “Last year, a Freedom of Information request responded to by 147 UK local authorities, found 63 per cent of planned fire door maintenance and replacement did not progress, as scheduled. It’s clear that there’s still plenty of work to be done around improving awareness of the critical role that fire doorsets play in protecting life and property." Eryl Jones concludes, "We hope our new guide acts as an invaluable resource for those tasked with fire safety in buildings, ensuring everyone throughout the doorset’s lifecycle plays their part, in upholding the highest fire safety standards.”

DHF (Door & Hardware Federation), is highlighting the importance of safety – and legal responsibilities – for owners of automated products through a series of free two-hour Zoom seminars. The first seminar, held on 23rd September, and delivered by DHF’s Senior Training and Compliance Officer, Nick Perkins, offered a guide for owners and managers of industrial doors, garage doors, powered gates and traffic barriers, including vehicle/loading bay doors, and vertically acting shutters over pedestrian access areas. BSI Standards Publication In outlining the requirements, Nick referred to BSI Standards Publication, BS EN 12453:2017: Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates – safety in use of power operated doors – Requirements and testing methods, whereby systems should be ‘safe, appropriately maintained, and left in a safe condition following maintenance’.  In assisting this process, and in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive, DHF has devised a graded system of potential safety issues as being either ‘safety critical’ or ‘requiring improvement’, with red indicating that installations with safety critical defects should not be restored to service by the maintenance company, and amber indicating that these installations could be restored to service but only under client/owner instruction. Legal minimum levels of protection Nick also explains the legal minimum levels of protection with regards to moving parts, and the overall legal requirements of the owner, whether an individual or company. In commenting on DHF’s first seminar, Dean Starkey, Chartered Building Surveyor, MRICS, said: “I found the session both interesting and informative; it reinforces the need for specialist knowledge and expertise in this area to protect building users and managers.” Safety and compliance “Safety and compliance remain at the very heart of everything we do at DHF and we are delighted to continue to work for our members – and beyond – despite the on-going COVID-19 restrictions”, said DHF’s Head of Commercial Operations, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “We are very pleased to have received such positive feedback from those who attended the first free Zoom seminar in September and will be rolling out these safety seminars on a regular basis, with the next one scheduled for the New Year. This is an exclusive offer for customers of DHF members.”