Despite the tragedy of the Grenfell fire in London last summer, an online poll has revealed that 50% of tradespeople don’t feel confident in advising customers on fire door safety.

Despite extensive media coverage about the dangers of inadequate fire protection in offices and homes since the disaster, less than 20% of tradespeople polled have seen an increase in demand for fire safety products or parts such as replacement intumescent strips for fire doors.

The results are published in support of Fire Door Safety Week (24 September – 30 September) which aims to raise awareness of the importance of fire doors in saving lives.

Fire Door Safety Poll

The poll followed a national survey of 2,000 adults across the country, carried out by online trade supplier IronmongeryDirect and supported by the Fire Industry Association. The results illustrate an alarming lack of general public awareness of the life-saving role of fire doors which are a legal requirement in all commercial, public and multi-occupancy buildings.

A particularly disturbing outcome was that 70% of respondents would not know who to contact if they noticed a problem with a fire door. In addition, almost one in two people surveyed admitted that they do not know how to identify a fire door.

Ian Moore, CEO at the Fire Industry Association, said: “Fire doors are one of many essential elements to keeping safe from fire.  In all cases, a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment should be carried out by the responsible person – usually the building owner.

A fire risk assessment should determine, through thorough inspection, any potential risks or hazards so that they may be resolved.  If you are worried about hazards and risks from fire, you can always contact us, the Fire Industry Association, for free and impartial information and we will be able to direct you to an expert on the subject.”

Alarming Findings

This research highlights the need for tradespeople and the wider public to be more aware of the essential role that fire doors play in keeping them safe. Fire doors are specifically designed to withstand fire for between 30 and 240 minutes and, when used correctly, they can make a significant difference in saving lives and protecting buildings.

In addition, 34% of people nationally said they would prop a fire door open to let in fresh air or give easier access, among other reasons.

According to the British Woodworking Federation, the organisation behind Fire Door Safety Week, three million fire doors are installed each year. However, they remain a significant area of neglect and should be regularly checked and maintained by those responsible for the upkeep of the building.

Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect, Wayne Lysaght-Mason, commented: “We are now over a year on from the Grenfell Tower fire and it is disturbing that a significant proportion of the general public appear to lack basic fire door knowledge.”

The safety campaign says that fire doors are often the first line of defence in a fire and their correct specification, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants.

Visit www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk for their 5-Point Fire Door guide.

See more about fire safety on Skill Builder

Nearly a quarter (24%) of people consider a lack of quality of build to be a major disadvantage of buying a new build home over an older property, according to a recent survey by BLP Insurance, a specialist residential warranty and commercial latent defects insurer.

People living in the north of England (29%) were more likely to view a lack of quality of construction as a major disadvantage of new build homes compared to those people living in London and the south east (21%).

Other disadvantages of new builds identified by respondents included lack of character (26%), the size of rooms (24%), and price (21%). Respondents aged 16-24 see cost (32%) as the biggest disadvantage of buying a new build home while respondents over the age of 55 think cost (18%) is the least important factor with the lack of character (30%) the principal drawback of buying a new build.

The survey also revealed that 29% of people do not believe there were any benefits in purchasing a new build home; those over 55 are especially sceptical about the advantages (41%).

Kim Vernau, CEO of BLP Insurance, said: “Poor build quality is an increasing issue in the UK housing market.

As developers attempt to meet the high levels of demand for new homes, practical design and quality is being compromised.

As more and more buyers become aware of the issues that poor quality of build gives rise to, all parties involved in the construction of new homes will have to respond, taking greater responsibility and ensuring quality of the build process going forward.”

Roger discusses an issue that is common in new builds in this recent video:

Unbelievable Cowboy Plumbing Horror Show