Ensuring compliance on fire door systems

Steve Goodburn, business development director at Pyroguard, discusses the transition to European Standards for fire door systems and how the industry can ensure compliance.

​From September 2029, fire door systems tested to BS 476-22 will no longer meet UK building regulation requirements.

Instead, compliance must be demonstrated through testing and classification under the European Standard; BS EN 13501-2. This change forms part of a wider strategy to enhance building safety and performance, prompted by the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the findings of the Hackitt Review.

However, this transition brings a range of challenges.

The shift to European fire door testing standards is a crucial turning point in fire safety legislation across construction materials and systems. Unlike BS 476-22, the BS EN 13501-2 standard incorporates harmonised European testing procedures that reflect a more rigorous and unified classification system.

While the benefits of a standardised approach are clear, the transition presents multiple challenges for manufacturers of fire doors and glazed systems.

Fire doors are made up of numerous fire-resistant components, each tested and certified as an approved system. The doors which passed under BS 476-22 might not perform to the same level under the different testing parameters of BS EN 1634-1. Therefore, meeting the European testing standards may necessitate changes in product design or materials used.

Testing to European standards is generally considered to be more onerous. This is because EN 1634-1 utilises shielded thermocouples to track temperature changes. These sensors are less responsive to rapid temperature shifts and can result in the release of heat energy during the early stages. This leads to higher initial thermal loads being recorded, making it more challenging for products to achieve compliance under European test conditions.

What does this mean for existing fire doors? Fire doors tested to BS 476-22 that are already installed in buildings prior to the introduction of EN classifications will still be considered fit for purpose, provided they continue to meet safety requirements through regular inspection and proper maintenance.

However, building owners and facility managers should ensure these doors are routinely checked.

Looking ahead, all newly manufactured and installed fire door systems will need to fully comply with the EN standards.

This shift may impact product selection, specification processes and certification requirements, making it essential for architects, contractors and specifiers to start making preparations now, as developing and testing fire-rated products can be a time-consuming process.

Fire safety glass tested to EN standards

Fire safety in buildings should never focus on individual components. It should consider the entire system, ensuring that every element, from the fire doors and frames to the glazing, seals and even the surrounding walls are correctly specified, installed and fire-rated to work together as a unified and compliant solution.

In line with this system-based approach, we introduced Pyroguard Advance last year, our latest range of fire safety glass which features a new gel interlayer technology and is the only cuttable fire glass manufactured in the UK.

Pyroguard Advance is designed to support timber fire door manufacturers in the transition to EN 1634-1 standards and offers EW classifications (integrity and radiation) with either 30 or 60 minutes’ fire resistance.

Not only is this new range of fire safety glass fully tested and certified to European standards it can also meet EN 356 anti-attack standards when installed as a DGU making it a durable option for use in steel, timber and composite applications, where compliance to approved document Q is important.

The industry as a whole needs to start preparing now. Whether that means retesting existing products or sourcing fully certified solutions that already meet EN classifications, such as Pyroguard Advance. Taking proactive steps today will help guarantee compliance, maintain safety and avoid costly delays in the future.”