All timber fire doors pass MHCLG tests

The tests found 100% to have met required standards, exceeding the minimum 30-minute burn time requirement, with one door resisting flames for as long as 59 minutes when opening away from the furnace.

This is in direct contrast to glass reinforced polymer foam filled fire doors – the type recovered from Grenfell tower, which initiated this investigation – three quarters of which failed MHCLG tests in results published earlier this year.

In one of his final statements as housing minister before leaving office on July 24, James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for the MHCLG, said an expert panel had “concluded that they do not believe there is a performance concern with timber fire doors across industry, where they are purchased directly from the manufacturer and produced to specification”.

Kevin Underwood, technical director for the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) which operates the BWF Fire Door Alliance, said the federation knew through its own survey that doors produced by BWF Fire Door Alliance members have all performed beyond the minimum standards required in these tests.

“We would actively encourage those responsible for the fire safety of buildings to review the test and certification documents that support the performance of their fire doors to ensure people’s lives are not put at risk,” he said.

Mr Underwood said the government needed to act quickly to eliminate all existing issues and ensure that all future fire doors are fit for purpose.

Helen Hewitt, BWF CEO, said the government’s Building a Safer Future plan was a step in the right direction.

“The introduction of a more effective regulatory framework, greater accountability, supported by clearer standards and guidance will create a more responsible construction industry,” she said.

“Product safety performance and traceability will be key, with testing and certification intrinsic to driving this forward.