Manse Masterdor Fire Doors
In May of 2018 the Scottish Government wrote to all housing associations in relation to 30-minute composite fire doors manufactured by Manse Masterdor. This communication confirmed that an independent Expert Panel had concluded that flat entrance doors supplied by Manse Masterdor did not meet the 30 minute fire resistance standard they were marketed as providing. The recommendation given was as follows:
“…all fire doors should be assessed regularly to make sure they are likely to meet the minimum standard and you should review whether a fire risk assessment on affected buildings is necessary. This assessment should also consider how quickly these Manse Masterdor doors should be replaced, using a risk based approach e.g. where these doors are located in flatted or sheltered accommodation that open to a common area.”
Since then, we have received a number of enquiries from RSL’s on this topic and one common issue appears to be the challenge in identifying whether certain doors were indeed manufactured by Masterdor. In the absence of any such information it is difficult for organisations to decide upon the best course of action. Our advice here would be to commission a specialist (ACS would be happy to help!) to inspect your doors with a view to prioritising those that need:
- immediate action
- further testing or a prudent assumption that they may not be suitable, or
- no action.
Such an exercise could be rolled in with a Fire Risk Assessment of the premises or carried out as a standalone piece of work. This approach would allow you to comply with the Government’s recommendations of a risk-based approach without incurring significant expenditure on unnecessary door replacements.
If you would like to discuss this issue further or request a copy of the full Expert Panel Report please contact info@acsrisk.com