SOUND BITES: Highlighting the changes to fire door testing in the UK

With the BS 476 series being withdrawn from Approved Document B, what will be the differences in testing between BS 476 and EN 1634-1. Sabrina Bettles, Product Category Manager for ERA, gives an overview of the changes to fire door testing.

“My name is Sabrina Bettles and I’m a Product Category Manager covering Mechanical Door Hardware at ERA Home Security. So whilst the two test methods are very similar, there are a couple of differences that result in BS EN 1634-1 being slightly more onerous than BS 476 Part 22. The most significant difference will be how the scope of applications such as size range, glazing configurations and hardware options are determined. Also, certain parameters could be subject to an assessment.”

“Within the EN regime, there is a series of material specific extended application standards which closely define the potential configuration options and evidence required. This may mean an increased testing burden to provide the equivalent specification options. If you’d like to know more, head to erareverywhere.com for all the details.”