The Golden Thread
Building compliance is being highlighted more than ever as a consequence of fire doorset legislation amendments. This legislation is purposed to ensure the safety of individuals both in and around the building, following guidance from the Grenfell fire. As of 23rd January 2023, it will be a legal requirement to ensure all appropriate steps are taken to reduce the risk of fire. Upon failure to comply to the legislation, the responsible persons will be penalised both legally and financially. This amendment will ensure the correct individual is held accountable for failing to ensure fire safety in the infrastructure. The legislation in Approved Document B covers social buildings, and those over 11m in height.
The Golden Thread approach
One of the most crucial elements of the legislation is the introduction of the Golden Thread approach, purposed to link the lifecycle of a fire door at each stage. Essentially, all components are to be tested, manufactured, surveyed, installed, and maintained. This process works to ensure compliance and traceability in your building, and avoid bad practice.
Global’s approach
Here at Global, we are industry leaders who recognise the importance of compliance and so we have formulated Global’s approach to the Golden Thread. The approach is made up of seven individual stages:
- Design and test
- Specification
- Surveys
- Manufacture
- Installation
- Audited inspection
- Maintenance
Should a fire door be installed by a non-approved installer, the warranty and quality may be affected. Global’s fire door installers are trained to an exemplary standard in the entire ‘fire door system’. Thus meaning they are Q-Mark certified ‘Composite and Timber Fire Door Installers’. They are audited and third party approved by B M Trada. Our composite Ceasefire fire doors are manufactured in-house ready to prepare your compliant building.
NFC tracking
In order to preparation for the changing legislation, Global have introduced modern technology to ensure compliance. Ensuring all relevant data regarding the fire door’s lifecycle is accurately documented, we have teamed up with PlanRadar to implement NFC tracking to the fire doors. This technology enables all documents relevant to the lifecycle of the fire door to be uploaded. Therefore, making it a simple process if another individual requires access to the data. The documents can not be manually deleted, ensuring that documents can’t be lost, and all the relevant documentation is readily available. Easy access to manufacture and installation data helps to identify any major and minor alterations since the previous fire door inspection. This is crucial as it can be very easy to overlook small alterations that can make a fire door non-compliant.
As the responsible person, you must implement all the correct measures, and avoid cutting any corners. At Global, we have an extensive list of services to help you achieve compliance at each stage. It is our specialty to provide fire safety and passive fire protection from project conception through construction, to remedial works.
Watch the Global's Complete Approach video by clicking here.
Global are an appointed company featured on our Fire Safety (FS1) framework. To find out more about Global and our Fire Safety (FS1) framework contact our SWPA team.