Fire Rated

Fire-rated shutters, fire curtains & fire doors

Fire-rated shutters, curtains and doors are life-safety products that maintain a building’s fire compartmentation, holding back flame, and in insulated versions heat, so people can escape. Held open in normal trading, they descend automatically on a fire signal or on loss of power. We survey, manufacture, install and service systems specified to the relevant British and European standards.

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Fire-rated roller shutter in a commercial openingFire shutter installed to compartmentalise a retail unitFire-rated shutter descending to seal an openingCertified fire shutter in a commercial premises
Why it matters

Protection you can prove

Life-safety compartmentation

Closes openings in fire-resisting walls so fire is contained in one compartment, protecting escape routes and buying critical evacuation time.

Fail-safe automatic descent

Descends under its own weight at a controlled speed on a fire-alarm signal or power loss, so protection still works during a mains failure.

Integrity or insulation

Available as integrity-only (E) or integrity-plus-insulation (EI) systems, so each opening is specified to match the building’s fire strategy.

Tested performance

Systems are fire-tested and rated to BS EN 1634-1, giving specifiers and building control documented, verifiable performance.

Discreet when open

Shutters and curtains sit concealed above the opening in normal use, keeping shopfronts and openings clear during trading.

One accountable team

Surveyed, manufactured and installed by our own people, with servicing to keep the system in efficient working order.

Specification

Certified & compliant

Life-safety products, specified correctly, tested and maintained.

  • Fire-tested to BS EN 1634-1 and classified to BS EN 13501-2
  • Integrity (E) or integrity + insulation (EI) rated, typical periods E60 / E120 and EI30 / EI60, project-specific
  • Gravity fail-safe descent, closes on fire-alarm signal or loss of power, no electrical input needed to deploy
  • Controlled, governed descent speed to close the opening safely without free-fall
  • Fire-alarm interface designed to BS 7273-4 actuation categories (A / B / C) as specified
  • Powered gear designed to BS EN 12453 and supplied under BS EN 13241 with UKCA / CE marking
  • Optional audible / visual descent warning and obstruction safety edges per the risk assessment
  • Handover pack with O&M manual and log book to support the responsible person’s maintenance duties
Where we fit

Typical applications

  • Shopping-centre malls & retail-unit frontages
  • Warehouse & distribution compartment openings
  • Service, reception & kitchen servery counters
  • Commercial kitchens & back-of-house separations
  • Openings in fire-resisting walls between areas
  • Escape-route & stairwell protection
Standards

Specified & tested to recognised standards

Fire products are life-safety equipment. We specify and test to the relevant standards, and support the servicing that keeps them compliant.

BS EN 1634-1 Fire-resistance test method for door, shutter and openable-window assemblies, the basis for E / EI ratings.
BS EN 13501-2 Fire classification of construction products from the BS EN 1634-1 test results.
BS EN 13241 Product standard for industrial, commercial and garage doors, the technical basis for UKCA / CE marking.
BS EN 12453 Safety in use of power-operated doors and gates, force limitation and safety devices.
BS 7273-4 Actuation of release mechanisms, defines fail-safe Category A / B / C actuation from the fire alarm.
RRO (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Places a duty on the responsible person to maintain fire-safety equipment in efficient working order (Art. 17).
Approved Document B Building Regulations statutory guidance on compartmentation and means of escape.
Third-party certification Independent certification (e.g. LPCB / UKAS-accredited) of tested fire performance, where a product’s certificate applies.
FAQs

Common questions

How does a fire shutter or fire curtain actually work?

In normal use it is held open, concealed above the opening. On a signal from the building’s fire detection and alarm system, or on loss of power, the holding force is released and the shutter or curtain descends under its own weight at a controlled speed to seal the opening. Because descent relies on gravity, the barrier still closes during a power cut.

What is the difference between an E rating and an EI rating?

E (integrity) means the barrier resists the passage of flame and hot gases for the stated time, e.g. E60 = 60 minutes’ integrity. EI (integrity + insulation) adds a limit on heat transfer to the safe side, so people can pass close to it, e.g. EI60. EI systems are specified where the escape side must stay cool.

What do figures like E120 or EI30 mean?

The letter is the performance criterion and the number is the duration in minutes. E120 = integrity for 120 minutes; EI30 = integrity and insulation for 30 minutes. The required rating is set by the building’s fire strategy and Approved Document B, confirmed by BS EN 1634-1 testing.

Which standards are fire shutters and curtains tested to?

Fire performance is tested to BS EN 1634-1 and classified to BS EN 13501-2. The product is supplied under BS EN 13241 with UKCA / CE marking; powered operation follows BS EN 12453; and the release interface with the fire alarm follows BS 7273-4.

Do fire shutters and doors have to be tested and maintained?

Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must keep fire-safety equipment in efficient working order (Article 17). That means planned servicing and regular functional testing, including the fail-safe descent and alarm interface, recorded in a log book by a competent engineer.

Where are fire shutters and curtains typically used?

Wherever a fire-resisting wall has an opening that must stay usable during normal trading, shopping-centre malls and shopfronts, warehouse compartment lines, service and reception counters, kitchen serveries, and openings protecting escape routes.

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