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The UK’s first practical training centre for the fire door industry has opened in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Purpose built, the 3,000ft² Training Academy has been launched by Fire Door Maintenance (FDM) to raise safety standards across the industry. Comprising different types of fire doors and components from a range of manufacturers, the facility will provide a dedicated space for hands-on training plus classrooms for theory-based learning.
FDM is led by former business consultant Nicola John who has 20 years of experience in the door manufacturing and construction industry. She said: “The Training Academy is the first to offer practical fire door training in the largest centre of its kind. The Hackitt report underlined the importance of the “golden thread” and this is at the centre of our specialist training. Each course will underline how vital it is to source primary test evidence and the risk of changing or substituting components in a fire door.
“Providing access to fire doors and components from a range of manufacturers is a key element of the training. All fire doors are made slightly differently which means they need to be inspected differently too. Training participants will learn the nuances of each product and how to identify and fix any issues.”
The Training Academy was formally opened by councillor Sandra Walmsley, mayor of bury at a ribbon cutting ceremony. The event was also attended by Bury council leader, councillor Eamonn O’Brien.
Accredited by GQA Qualifications, an awarding body for specialist and occupational roles, the Academy will offer a variety of courses. The first to launch will be a fire door inspector course, followed by a course centred on fire door maintenance, and another focusing on fire door installation. After completion, participants will receive a GQA skills card.
As well as ensuring compliance with the latest fire safety regulation, the accredited training will respond to the Hackitt report’s recommendations following the Grenfell Tower fire. The inquiry into the tragedy revealed fire doors didn’t perform as expected. Out of the 120 doors in the building, 106 had been replaced and comprised different hardware from the tested door.
Dan Brown, strategic relationship manager at GQA Qualifications said: “The launch of FDM’s Training Academy is exceptionally timely, coinciding with a significant phase of introspection within the construction industry. This introspection, fuelled by the demands of the Building Safety Act 2022, aims to enhance overall quality, compliance, and competence following a series of tragic events resulting in devastating loss of life.
Doors and components in the new Training Academy have been provided by Harlow Timber Group, West Port, Latham’s Steel Doors, Unity Doors, Permadoor, Strongdor, The Sovereign Group, NSG Group, DoorCo, Rutland, Mann McGowan, Lorient, PDS, and Contactless Check Solutions, IG, GGF, Pilkingtons, Nordan, PWIDF and Specialist Door Solutions.
