There are 40 fire doors at ILPH, consisting of three different types

Kidde Fire Protection Services carried out a door audit for ILPH

As well as being fastidious about horse care, the International League for the Protection of Horses has an uncompromising attitude towards the safety of its employees. The ILPH choose Kidde to look after all their fire doors.

The International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) was founded in 1927 to prevent the ill-treatment of horses exported to Europe for slaughter. It has grown to become the world's leading international equine welfare charity, with HRH The Princess Royal as its President.

The ILPH runs four Recovery and Rehabilitation Centres with around three hundred equines undergoing rehabilitation at any one time. Fifteen full time ILPH field officers, nearly all ex-mounted policemen, investigate cases of cruelty and neglect, inspect markets and ports and also check the horses on the ILPH's horse loan scheme. Nearly 1,700 rehabilitated horses and ponies are currently in approved homes.

Located in Snetterton, Norfolk, the ILPH's headquarters is situated in a wonderful rural setting – a large and peaceful park with plenty of space for horses to graze and for employees' dogs to run around.

As well as being fastidious about horse care, the ILPH has an uncompromising attitude towards the safety of its employees. The introduction of Working Place Directives has put fire protection and prevention firmly on the doorstep of building owners/operators. No longer will there be regular fire checks of commercial properties from the local fire service; now company owners or building Managers are tasked with having a greater understanding of their own safety requirements, from fire alarms, to emergency lighting, to fire doors. All these systems must be audited, checked and maintained to ensure that they are in full working order.

The deregulation has come about due to the majority of fires occurring in domestic dwellings and the Government channelling fire brigade resources in that direction. However, employers may not rest on their laurels; random spot checks will be made and cases of fire will be thoroughly investigated. Should a fire result in fatalities it is not inconceivable that manslaughter charges could be brought to bear if it is found that fire protection equipment was faulty.

The ILPH had been working very closely for many years with local company, Briton Fire, which had been servicing their fire alarm and extinguishers. When Briton was acquired by one of the country's largest fire protection and prevention organisations, Kidde Fire Protection Services the relationship developed as Kidde added ILPH's fire door maintenance to its portfolio of services.

Alan Bunn, ILPH Facilities Manager, comments, "As soon as we heard that there were going to be new Workplace Directives we took a proactive approach to fire safety and asked Kidde to survey all our fire doors. Should we have an inspection by the Fire Officer we can demonstrate that we are taking ownership of and responsibility for all aspects of fire protection here."

There are 40 fire doors at ILPH, consisting of three different types. The fire door, which always has 3 hinges, 4mm thick, intumescent strips and a self-closing device; the high usage door, which can be a non-fire rated door; and thirdly, the final exit door leading to the outside of the building. This door always opens outwards to allow free flow of people in case of emergency. The final exit door must be a fire door when there is an external stairwell connecting all the floors.

Kidde Fire Protection Services carried out their first door audit for ILPH over a year ago, following it up recently with a second year survey. After the first survey the doors were updated and so, given the relatively small number of employees in the building, another survey was not required for another year.

The second year survey resulted in a thorough report on the state of all the doors in the building and identified a need for new panic bars to be fitted to one of the final exit doors. Comparing this with the first year's survey results, Alan Bunn was able to see patterns of wear emerging to identify which doors are most likely to need maintaining before the next year's survey.

Alan said, "Working closely with Kidde we can be confident that we are taking the safety of our employees just as seriously as we take the care of our horses."

For further information on the Kidde Fire Protection range of Fire Doors and associated products, please contact 01953 603871.