Tag: fire shutter doors

How Fire Shutters Can Help Protect Your Business

Installing fire rated shutters which are in line with safety regulations is a necessity in places of business to protect you, your team and customers. Fire shutters offer a physical barrier in wall openings to help prevent the spread of fire in case of an emergency.

Fire Shutter Types

At UK Rapid Door Systems, we have three types of fire shutter designs available:

Fire Stopper Insulated Fire Shutter provides 8 minutes insulation with 240 minutes integrity. Its design features a twin skin steel lath construction which allows up to a 96% radiant reduction, meaning combustible materials can be stored 500mm away from a fire of 1250 degrees.

Fire Stopper Industrial Fire Shutter has been designed with the aim to stop compartmental fire spreading up to 10m wide x 7m high maximum. This is alongside 240 minutes of fire integrity.

Fire Stopper Commercial Fire Shutter has been created with server, commercial and office applications in mind. Within its design, it features a compact bracket, side guide and canopy design for an unobtrusive fire barrier while closed and offers 240 minutes fire integrity.

Benefits of Fire Safety Shutters

Fire is a very powerful element, which can cause great risk to any properties, including warehouses, factories and retail units. While being a threat to your property, it is also a threat to people and very difficult to control without the right equipment. Fire safety shutters are designed to reduce the spread of fire, without compromising the shutter’s integrity. While fire shutters may look very similar to a standard roller shutter, they offer so much more.

Some fire safety shutters can be connected to local heat and smoke detectors or fire alarm systems, so that when a signal is sent the shutter knows to act. Depending on your control panel settings, the fire shutter should know whether to open or close as instructed.

When instructed to close, fire safety shutters can compartmentalise areas of large buildings to control the spread of the fire. By enclosing the hazard, this can allow people inside of the property additional time to evacuate safely.

Additional Fire Safety

In addition to fire rated shutters, there are several other ways to improve fire safety on your premises.

Fire exits should provide a clear pathway, not blocked from an overload of packages or equipment. Providing a clear route for the fire exit will allow people to evacuate without causing further panic or confusion. To assist your fire exits, your fire exit procedures should also be visibly displayed throughout your building so everyone is informed.

Fire alarms should undergo regular inspections to check they are working properly, as well as routine practice emergency evacuation drills to ensure that all employees and visitors confidently know what to do in the event of an emergency.

Fire extinguishers should be positioned within easy reach at prominent points in your building. Meanwhile they should be regularly maintained following recommendations from the manufacture and fire regulations.

Flammable materials most often provide storage and handling guidance from their manufacture, such as their temperature and ventilation requirements. However, you should also be aware of other flammable materials, including paper and cardboard.

By implementing the right fire safety procedures, in addition to your fire rated shutters, you can feel more confident in knowing how to conduct yourself in the event of an emergency. If you have any questions regarding your newly installed fire rated shutters, please ask our team who will be happy to guide you through the set up and management.

Installing Electric Roller Shutters for Barking Superstore

At UK Rapid Door Systems, we promote security and safety with our high performing shutter doors. With a range of systems to choose from, you can find what best fits your business requirements. Most recently we have installed Electric Roller Shutters at the ASDA Superstore in Barking. This is the second out of five ASDA stores in the process of organising their system upgrades.

Regardless of your business size, security and protection should be a priority. Many businesses invest in security upgrades to protect cash and property, to prevent unauthorised access or for health and safety purposes. Electric Shutter Doors can play a major role in your premise’s security, which is why ASDA has requested for a total of 7nr shutters to be installed.

Fire Safety

Each panel on the installed Roller Shutters is connected to ASDA’s fire alarms. Then, during a fire alarm the Roller Shutter doors will automatically open to create an accessible fire exit. During an emergency, this will provide a clear exit for staff and visitors to approach for their safety.

If fire safety is a high priority for your business, we also offer a range of Fire Shutter Doors. From Fire Exit Shutters providing clear fire exits for staff and customers to Fire Rated shutters which help contain a fire in one part of the building preventing it from spreading throughout the building these can be from Single skin shutters to insulated shutters with up to 240 minutes integrity. 

Security Protection

To keep unauthorised visitors away our Retail Security Doors offer varying levels of security. They are designed using steel or aluminium for integral strength to block forcible entry attempts. Retail Security Doors are also suitable for internal or external operation, with remote operation available. Thereby providing ASDA stores with stronger security, to only allow staff with permission access behind the shutters.

Efficient Operations

All of our high performing door systems are quick and efficient to operate, so they run smoothly in busy environments. Being electric means you don’t need to manually open and close doors every time. Therefore, saving your team time and minimising distractions.

Enquiring for Electric Roller Shutters

At UK Rapid Doors we offer both manual and electric Shutter Doors. Both offering a variety of curtain slat type options to suit your security, installation and finish requirements. Suitable for both small commercial and large industrial sites, you can also have them punched for increased visibility. 

To enquire about Electric Roller Shutters, please contact our team at enquiries@ukrapiddoorsystems.co.uk or alternatively call 0121 565 6165.

Recent Rapid Door System Installation in Shrewsbury

In busy industrial environments, health and safety is key. With high traffic flows, heavy machinery and the workforce needing to get through their workload, anything you can do to ensure the smooth running of your workplace will contribute to improved performance and employee safety. Rapid Door Systems can help to reduce workplace risk and assist your daily operations.

Fire Shutter Doors in Tunstall

Over recent weeks, the UK Rapid Doors team have been keeping busy with a number of projects. For example, we were called to assist at an ASDA Superstore in Tunstall, on behalf of a project management company.

As part of the project, we manufactured and installed electrically operated Fire Rated Roller Shutters. Our “Fire Stopper” Insulated Shutters are developed using twin skin steel lath construction, which provides 96% radiant reduction. For warehouses storing combustible materials this is ideal and as they also increase the floor space available this further lowers your risk of compartmental fire spread.

To assist the emergency services in the outbreak of a fire, safe access is allowed within six metres from the fire’s source. Thereby assisting firefighters when they need to access compact areas surrounding the closed Fire Shutter barrier.

Zip Speed Doors in Shrewsbury

We were also recently called to Shrewsbury to manufacture and install two Zip Speed Doors with internal and external induction ground loops. For busy industrial openings, this door system is energy efficient, fast acting and appropriate for high traffic flows. The opening and closing speed allow Zip Doors to reduce heat loss, noise, airborne pollution and waiting times. Therefore, contributing to smooth operations and a structured routine.

It took two days to complete the installation and now the property can benefit from the features offered by our zip speed doors – including a high level bottom safety edge detection, push button station, breakout system, inverter drive and a safety photocell.

Enquiring for Rapid Door Systems

At UK Rapid Doors we aim to provide first class safety and security door systems. With a dedicated, experienced team we can have your rapid door systems manufactured and installed securely and quickly. With a range of rapid door systems to choose from, you will find exactly what your business is looking for.

For additional information on our services, or to enquire, call a member of our friendly team on 0121 565 6165.

Is your business protected against fire?

Without upgrades such as fire shutter doors, the damage caused by a blaze can have devastating consequences for businesses of any size.

This can result in the loss of assets, causing serious disruption to the short and long-term operation of a company and having an adverse effect on customers.

Thankfully, advancement in fire prevention methods such as fire doors and shutters mean the spread of fire can be better managed than ever before, whilst legislation surrounding fire prevention continues to improve.

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Here we discuss some key factors for preventing fire on business premises, and precautions to take in case the worst happens.

Fire Safety

Your company is legally obliged to follow health and safety regulations, and fire prevention figures prominently in those guidelines.

Responsibility to adhere to those rules falls to a number of parties including the business owner and the owner/landlord of the premises the company operates from. The business should also have personnel in place to oversee safety on site, such as a Facilities Manager, Building Manager or Risk Assessor.

Assessment and Awareness

To make sure the business and your employees are aware of safety procedure and potential fire hazards, the appointed safety officials should carry out a regular assessment of the premises and review it on a bi-monthly basis.

Once in place, it is the responsibility of all staff to maintain appropriate fire safety measures and to understand and practice the drill in the case of an emergency. Staff should also be provided with information, fire safety instruction and training in relation to fire hazard.

Precautions

When fire does occur, especially outside of business hours, there are now a number of ways to suppress the spread and minimise damage.

Most modern commercial buildings now have sprinkler systems and fire doors installed, but it is the emergence of improved fire shutter doors that now play a leading role in preventing the spread of fire, with insulated fire proof shutter doors capable of withstanding intense heat for up to 4 hours.

Fire shutter doors systems such as our ‘Fire Stopper Insulated Fire shutter’ offer a ground-breaking twin skin steel lath construction that offers up to a 96% radiant reduction. This means that combustible materials can be stored 500mm away from a 1250 °C fire increasing floor space and reducing the risk of fire spread.

If you would like to find out more about protecting your business premises from fire damage, call us today on 0121 565 6165.

Fire Prevention for Schools

Following on from last week’s Fire Door Safety Week, this month we’re discussing fire prevention methods for schools. Whilst the number of deaths in school fires is thankfully very small, between 2000 and 2005 there were approximately 8,000 fires on school premises. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/276389/buildingbulletin100_onlineversion.pdf) With less than half of these fires being caused accidentally, the biggest cause of school fires is arson.

The economic cost of a fire in a school is huge. Repercussions can include:

• the cost of having to hire temporary accommodation whilst the section of the school is rebuilt
• the cost to replace teaching aids
• loss of facilities for the community
• loss of coursework and personal property belonging to staff and students
• the implications of the number of pupil applications to the school in the subsequent years

Fire Safety Training

One of the key ways to prevent a fire from starting, is to educate and train members of staff in fire prevention and management. Schools have a legal responsibility to carry out risk assessments so as to identify key hazardous areas. These can be carried out by a trained member of staff or a member of the local fire brigade. For example, boxes of paper surrounding a photocopier are a prime target for a fire to ignite, due to the heat given off by a photocopier when in constant daily use, and the fact that paper is fuel for a fire. Staff should take care to identify alternative areas to store high volumes of paper, and the area surrounding the photocopier should be free from clutter.

Fire Detection Systems

It goes without saying that a fully operational fire detection system should be installed within all areas of a school, and should also be tested regularly. Many fires start during the school day, and it is vital that every member of staff and all pupils are fully aware and well-practised in evacuating the school building in a calm but swift manner. All alarms and fire detection methods should be tested regularly.

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Fire Shutter Doors

Inevitably, the school kitchen is one of the prime areas within a school with a high fire risk. It therefore pays to have adequate methods in place to prevent a fire from spreading beyond the kitchen and throughout the school. Industrial fire shutters are becoming common place in school canteens, as a fire should remain contained within the kitchen and be prevented from spreading any further. At UK Rapid Door Systems we offer a range of high quality Fire Stopper fire shutter doors which are well suited for use in schools. With the ability to resist a fire for up to 240 minutes, the doors are designed to contain a fire until the emergency services can arrive.

To find out more about our fire shutter doors, give our sales team a call on 0121 565 6165.