Fire Safety Framework underlines importance of Fire Doors

The award-winning provider of homes and member of the G15, the Hyde Group, makes a significant contribution to meeting housing needs and to improving people’s quality of life.
Hyde has recently launched an innovative fire safety framework which ensures that resident fire safety is at the heart of fire safety measures undertaken by Hyde and other users. Its ethos is accountability, competence and traceability, reflecting terms that have appeared throughout the ‘Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety: Final Report’ by Dame Judith Hackitt  and Government publication: ‘Building A Safer Future: An Implementation Plan.’

Elaine Bailey, Chief Executive of the Hyde Group, was involved in the founding of the framework and views building safety as vitally important. The framework is designed to ensure that best practice, innovation and tenant and leaseholder engagement are at the heart of fire safety works: “Whilst the framework provides value for money, what was most important was getting the quality assurance of both products and installation right.”
Hyde has appointed Frankham RMS as technical advisor to the framework, together with Echelon Consultancy, specialising in procurement, and Pretium who manage the framework on Hyde’s behalf.  Following a robust and competitive process, the four year framework was awarded in February 2019 to 26 organisations. Fully compliant with EU and UK procurement legislation, the framework enables immediate access to fire safety experts and specialists. There is no joining fee and no hidden costs.  
The framework focuses on value and innovation through close collaborative partnerships between the Contracting Authority, future users and the specialist framework of manufacturers, installers and contractors. One of these service streams is fire doors. Hyde’s exacting requirements for this area include third party certified products from manufacturers who look at the whole of the door life-cycle including its design, performance, how it is installed, and any repairs and maintenance.
Performance expectations are high not only for fire resistance and smoke leakage for doorsets, but also in meeting other aspects of the building regulations to ensure that residents have a safe and secure home.

Fire Safety Week

To support Fire Door Safety Week (23rd -29th September 2019) and reaffirm their commitment to this important fire safety measure, Hyde is highlighting the work already carried out in this area on projects through one of its specialists.  
Since the launch of the framework, two housing projects for replacement doorsets have successfully been completed in Peterborough and London with the Gerda Safer Homes range of front entrance doorsets. These doorsets were also successfully tested through the MHCLG doorset test programme for timber doorsets.  
Manufacturer Gerda, is an established British manufacturer with 25 years’ experience in the fire doorset industry. Gerda specialises in multi-performance, factory produced complete fire doorsets. Flat entrance doorsets offer performance for fire, smoke, security, acoustics, thermal transmittance, operational durability and weathering.
Doorset ranges are tested to  both sides in full scale fire tests, as complete doorsets with side panels and top lights and include all hardware, glazing, intumescent seals, smoke seals, letterboxes and fire stopping methods in the tests.
Importantly, the doorsets are third party certified as a complete doorset through the BM Trada Q Mark scheme for fire and security. Installation and maintenance is also through the Q Mark schemes. Tailored to survey, the doorsets are able to fit unusual openings as well as standard sizes owing to an extensive test evidence remit.   
Jake Le Page, Interim Head of Building Safety Taskforce at Hyde, underlines the way the Hyde Framework is raising the bar:
“Fire safety is a really important issue and we are really proud to have established this framework with excellent partners and to have made it available to all public sector organisations to use. Quality services to manage and address fire safety issues importantly include fire doors, both flat entrance doorsets and communal area doorsets.  
“Not only do we scrutinise performance criteria and associated test evidence, we ensure that latest best practice is encapsulated. For example, we also provide residents with a Secured by Design flat entrance doorset approved through dual certification for both fire and security.“

To find out more about the Hyde Fire Safety Framework please visit the Hyde Housing website or email: firesafety@pretium.co.uk or enquiries@gerdasecurity.co.uk

Visit the Gerda website