IFC aims to enhance safety of fire doors.

(From Gulf Construction)

AS part of its efforts to ensure the reliability of manufacturing, supply and installation of fire safety products in the Middle East, IFC Certification elaborates on the mechanics of a fire door certification scheme, such as that used by the Dubai Civil Defence (DCD)

The Fire and Safety Section of Dubai Civil Defence (DCD), which has been leading the way in working with a number of organisations, including the UKAS accredited IFC Certification, has produced an approvals system for timber fire doors. The regulatory approvals system now used in Dubai is detailed in Figure 1. It is expected that this system will provide all those concerned with the design, specification, manufacture, installation and inspection of timber fire doors in the emirate, the confidence to specify these products with the reassurance of a third-party certification certificate and label

With the currently high level of construction activity in the Middle East, especially Dubai and the lack of unified controls from state to state, regulators can use the systems and models already established and in place in many countries throughout the world as examples to help guarantee the performance of these products that are important factors in life safety, he adds

Why a certificate? When fire performance is required, often the specifier, regulator, designer, consultant and fire safety engineer look for fire test evidence. However, fire testing a product is often very restrictive, also testing has no connection or guarantee that the manufactured products are the same as those specimens tested. Indeed, the sponsor companies often produce a "special" for the test and modify the subsequent manufactured products due to economics etc with scant reference to the test. This has led in the past to the tested product having no relevance to the mass manufactured products, which in turn can lead to premature failure of fire doors, ultimately leading to a high risk of injury or death from fire or its effects

The certification process not only assesses the acceptability of test and other reports on the performance of a fire door, it also assesses the manufacturing facility to assure that the approved or tested door design is the one upon which the applicant is using in the manufacturing and assembly process. The internationally-recognised British Standard BS 476: Part 22 is used as the criteria for fire ...