Education

Fire Door Inspection at Prestigious Leicester University


The University of Leicester

Regular fire door inspections are vital in commercial and residential buildings, particularly settings such as schools and universities, where fire doors undergo a considerable amount of wear and tear. This means that they need more frequent attention in order to remain operative and compliant, thereby offering maximum safety to those who occupy them. 

July 2023 saw the expert team at Adaston awarded a multi-year framework by competitive tender to assess the University of Leicester’s fire door compliance. Overall, four contractors worked across the site, with a third of all the doors on campus appointed to Adaston. This split meant that we were the only team working on the Oadby campus accommodation, also known as The Village. Over the summer, our surveying team assessed the compliance of fire doors within all the buildings on this site.

Key Points of Interests

  • Key Point Icon Adaston’s work forms part of the university’s fire door inspection framework. As a trusted fire door specialist, we were commissioned to survey fire doors across Oadby Campus student accommodation to ensure functionality and compliance.
  • Key Point Icon Some of the buildings surveyed are Grade II listed, which pose their own unique challenges.
  • Key Point Icon Our team proved to be agile and adaptable when working with Leicester University’s own in-house reporting software.
  • Key Point Icon Adaston has extensive experience working within the education and residential sector and therefore understands how to manage these settings.
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The Importance of Fire Door Inspections

This work is not because the campus has any fire safety issues. Quite the opposite, in fact. The university’s framework for success shows its commitment to maintaining high standards of fire safety. The ultimate goal is to ensure the safety of all students, staff and visitors to the campus. As an independent IFC accredited contractor, we assessed all fire doors across their student accommodation for functionality and compliance.

By investing in a robust service and replacement programme, you ensure the safety and compliance of your fire doors while simultaneously reducing the risk of large scale replacement at a later date due to lack of care or service. With a multi-year framework in place, Adaston will return and assess yearly. In doing so, Leicester University ensures their fire safety compliance.

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Unique Challenges and Solutions

Listed Buildings

Oadby Student Village is about 15 minutes from the main campus and comprises eight halls of residence, each with its own distinctive features, including some Grade II listed buildings which pose their own unique challenges. Of course, we believe that the structure of historical buildings should be preserved wherever possible. With that said, a listed building has to comply with the same regulations as any other building. 

Fortunately the fire performance of existing doors and their frames can often be improved while maintaining the original aesthetic. However, in the event that a fire door survey identifies the need to upgrade in order to prevent the passage of fire for longer periods, replacement doors and frames must be considered to improve overall fire safety of the building.

Minimising Disruption

Another common challenge faced when working within schools or student accommodation is working on a live site. The solution for this was simple: Adaston worked across the summer while the students weren’t residing in the buildings, which helped to minimise disruption to their lives and our work.

Adaston’s key to success is our team’s ability to be agile and adaptable. When working with Leicester University, we were also required to use their own in-house reporting software. Commendably, our surveyors overcame this challenge by seamlessly integrating our processes with their internal systems. This comes down to the experience and flexibility of our team who work hard to get the results you require.

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Fire Door Surveys

Because fire doors play an essential role in effective passive fire protection, you need a regular survey in order to ensure they’re in good working order. Adaston are third party accredited through the IFC scheme to undertake surveys across various industries. Our skilled team is highly experienced at inspecting all types of fire rated doors in higher education settings, schools and student accommodation, like those at the University of Leicester.

No matter what the setting, our fire door inspections are tailored to your specific needs and identify any areas of non-compliance. At Adaston, we work with stakeholders nationwide to establish and implement a cost-effective solution to ensure passive fire protection systems stay operative and compliant. Contact us today to arrange your essential fire door inspection so that you too can remain legally compliant and rest assured that your students stay safe.

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