The fire safety industry offers many products for different situations, depending on what you need them to do and where they will be fitted. One of the most popular types of fire safety equipment you can buy is fire shutters, which can help prevent the spread of fire in a building. Fire shutters and other forms of fire safety equipment can be used to protect your building should a fire occur, so it’s important the ones you choose are safe and reliable. One of the most important ways to know that the fire shutters you choose are ready to withstand a real fire is to choose a model that has been extensively tested. Not only will you know that they are going to perform as they are designed to, you will also know how they will react to fire in various situations.

The use of fire shutters is fairly standard in most commercial buildings. Fire shutters can be closed against a fire, in much the same way as a fire door, but on a larger scale. What’s important is that you know exactly how this fire shutter will behave in the event of a fire, as this will help inform and dictate all of the safety processes you have in place within your building. For example, if you know that you have a certain amount of time in which the fire will be isolated within one area, you know how long you have to collect everyone together at a fire safety evacuation and meeting point. This is something that can be achieved through extensive testing, allowing you to see how a fire shutter will behave in a particular circumstance so you know exactly what to expect.

How are fire safety shutters tested?

Fire safety shutters are tested by external bodies that will put them through various experiments to see how they behave and react. These tests will usually be carried out on behalf of the brand or manufacturer, though there might also be bespoke tests that businesses want to carry out on a specific product.

Often during testing, products will be tested in conditions replicating the worst case scenario for a fire. They will be burned at temperatures up to 1,000°C, depending on what the product itself should be able to withstand. These temperatures will be gradually increased to show how the door reacts. They will then be given a rating and a timescale.

Testing bodies – recognised fire safety

Various fire safety companies exist in order to complete testing of fire safety shutters and other fire-resistant objects. They are skilled in carrying out these tests, recording results and ensuring that all tests are carried out in the way that they should be. They can be contacted to commission the testing of fire safety products and give them a rating and full details that a buyer would need to know. There are also different tests that can be carried out and different methods that can be used depending on what needs to be investigated.