Latest figures from the Home Office reveal that the number of fire-related fatalities in England during 2015/16 had grown by 15% to 303. The number of fire incidents attended by the Fire and rescue services also rose by 5% to a total of 162,000 incidents.
This growing number of fires has prompted Hurst Plastics to bolster its composite fire door offer and help customers to take advantage of increasing demand for composite fire doors in both commercial and retail markets.
Howard Wilson, Hurst Plastics’ Composite Manager, explains: “It is worrying that the number of fire incidents and deaths from fire has risen. Most fatalities from fire occur in the home or in social and affordable housing schemes, so it’s vital to ensure that appropriate passive fire protection systems are in place there to help to prevent the spread of fire. Fire doors are an
important element.
“At Hurst, we’ve seen a marked rise in demand for composite fire doors and they now account for a large percentage of our business. We were however aware that some customers were nervous about composite fire doors because they were put off by complicated price guides, poor marketing and technical support, long lead times and unreliable deliveries. We developed a package to overcome all of these hurdles and to help customers to buy high quality composite fire doors with ease.
“Technical knowledge is at the heart of what we provide. We want to reduce the number and impact of fires in the UK and that starts with compliant products and an understanding of the legal requirements. The specifier has a legal responsibility to get their specification right and we are there to guide them through every stage of their composite door specification. Our aim is to steer customers through the red tape, including current European legislation and building regulations, to give them complete confidence in their specification.”
In addition to comprehensive technical support, Hurst has created a full marketing support package, which includes a re-vamped composite fire door brochure, individual retail price guides, personalised leaflets and tenants choice forms. Hurst also supplies pilot doors, samples and swatches for customers to demonstrate to tenants, specifiers, contractors and householders.
The new composite fire door brochure features a wide range of door styles and a number of frame, colour and glass options, including Pyrodur Plus glazing. The 44mm thick Hurst composite fire door leaf consists of a solid high performance core, which incorporates fire retardant phenolic foam and a high-density hardwood perimeter to provide a full half hour fire rating. The core is faced in a GRP colour finished skin, which is outwardly indistinguishable from Hurst’s standard composite doors. The skin is available in a four standard colours and any RAL Premium shade.
The new retail price guide makes pricing a composite fire door easier than ever before. A ‘one-stop’ price list, it features four simple price groups and prices for optional extras for colours, glass and ancillaries. The Hurst commercial team is also on hand to provide estimates and quotes and answer any technical queries.
Hurst Plastics’ range of composite fire doors includes FD30, FD30S, FDSBD and FD60 which have been audited and certified by Warrington Exova BM Trada to guarantee quality and performance. The fire doors have also been fire and smoke tested for up to 30 minutes by Warrington Exova to ensure they conform to BS476: Part 22: 1987
The doors offer the highest levels of security and satisfy the requirements of the Q-Mark enhanced security scheme. They also comply with PAS023/PAS024 security accreditation and the requirements of Secured by Design. Unlike some composite fire door suppliers, Hurst Plastics supplies every composite fire door with controlled door closers as standard to meet BS EN 1154.
