Fire Door Maintenance (FDM) has open a practical training centre for the fire door industry in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Purpose built, the 3,000ft² training academy has been launched to raise safety standards across the industry, a statement said. 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, it noted.
Accredited by GQA Qualifications, an awarding body for specialist and occupational roles, the academy is set to offer a variety of courses. The first to launch will be a fire door inspector course, followed by a course centered on fire door maintenance and another focusing on fire door installation. After completion, participants will receive a GQA skills card.
FDM said that the accredited training will respond to the Hackitt report’s recommendations following the Grenfell Tower fire. Out of the 120 doors in the building, 106 had been replaced and comprised different hardware from the tested door, it cited.
A variety of fire safety awareness courses will also be on offer for anyone wishing to learn more about the latest legislation and how to raise safety standards such as merchants, architects, facilities managers, locksmiths and representatives from housing associations, local authorities and the fire rescue service.
Owned by UAP, FDM is led by former business consultant Nicola John.
Nicola 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 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.
