CE mark is peace of mind, says DHF

This is the warning from the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF). Said Ian Wood, Chief Executive officer of the DHF: ‘Now there is an increasing emphasis on self-certification by building owners, it is more important than ever that specifiers, contractors and purchasers avoid non CE marked products to ensure they comply with current legislation.’

The DHF is pointing out that door makers can only CE mark their products by adhering to the new Standard BS EN 13241-1. Part 3 of this Standard, which will enable the CE marking of fire resisting doorsets, is still at least a year away from becoming available.

Increasing responsibility

We have spent the last six months trying to unravel the level of testing required

Said Mr Wood: ‘CE marking gives specifiers and end users peace of mind – they know their equipment complies with the current state of the art in safety and so meets all the relevant regulations. Building owners in particular need to be aware that, increasingly, the responsibility for certifying the safety of their buildings lies with them rather than with the authorities.

Although CE marking is not mandatory in the UK, manufacturers are competing with CE marked products on home territory, and then there is the export market to consider. ‘We would regard it as commercially mandatory’, says Michael Skelding, Secretary of the DHF.