This article was written by Ben Cusack of Flex Media, in collaboration with the Ritherdon team.
Ritherdon Showcases New FireSeal Panel at the Fire Safety Event
Leading British manufacturer Ritherdon & Co are set to unveil their latest range of fireproof products at the country’s premier fire protection industry exhibition, as Ben Cusack discovers.
Lancashire based Ritherdon, known for their high-quality electrical enclosures and engineering solutions, will be exhibiting for the first time at The Fire Safety Event, showcasing their growing fire safety product range, including their FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panel.
The FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panel is the third iteration of fireproof access panels developed in house at Ritherdon’s factory in Darwen, Lancashire, and will be on display at the event at the NEC Birmingham, from April 28 to 30.
What Is the FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panel?
The new panel cover was designed to upgrade the fire performance of an existing panel or opening in a wall, that protects from smoke and fire from both sides. It is believed to be the first retrofittable panel designed to upgrade existing panel, door or opening in the wall.
Brian Derbyshire, Ritherdon Operations Director, has led this project for a number of years, including overseeing the latest fire safety tests that took place earlier this year.
He said, “Originally, following direction from a client, we created a door and frame that fits over plastic meter boxes.
“Our steel unit was an answer to the flimsy plastic doors that often cover access panels and electricity boxes.
“Initially it wasn’t fireproof, but we decided that, if we were to create the entire housing unit, it would be better if it offered something different, along with the sturdiness that comes with building access panels from stainless steel.”
Originally developed more than 15 years ago, the Ritherdon design team has reworked the design to make the latest FireSeal products even safer, as recent tests showed fire was unable to breach the access panel after more than an hour of 1,000 degree Celsius heat from the testing furnace.
FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panels can be used to protect wherever there is an opening from outside a property that leads inside, but their primary use is within buildings where multiple access panels are necessary between interior walls.
Brian said, “Usually, there is a fireproof board placed at the back of electricity boxes, but we realised that this was not enough- especially because the standard units do next to nothing to prevent the spread of smoke.
“We use fireproof glands and our devices to create an airtight seal that stops flames, and smoke, from passing through the access panel covers.
“Our FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panels could be used on external walls, but their main use would be inside blocks of flats and office buildings, where they would prevent fire and smoke from breaching an internal wall in the event of a fire.”
Tested for Superior Fire and Smoke Protection
The FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panel was tested at Element PFP in High Wycombe, Bucks, where it successfully survived not only the hour-long fire and smoke test, but also an additional 12 minutes.
Brian added, “This product has gone through a lot of testing, and we’re on the third iteration now, which prevents smoke transfer as well as fire, from both directions
“All of our FireSeal products have been smoke sealed and thoroughly fire tested. “Some manufacturers only test access panels in one direction, whereas we wanted to make sure our products are fire and smoke resistant from either side.
“So all of our FireSeals have been smoke sealed and tested two ways.”
Each unit is screwed onto a wall, possibly over a hole within the wall. In the event of fire, intumescent seals within the unit, and the door, expand when temperatures rise rapidly.
The FireSeal expands and fills all gaps, preventing fire transfer, and stopping smoke from pouring through the unit. Brian said, “While the cost of the FireSeal panel is a little more than a standard panel, it is a specialist product.
“If there is no real possibility of fire on both sides of the panel, then a normal, GRP access panel could be used.
“But, while the FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panel is overkill on external walls in this country. where we do not really suffer from extreme wildfires, there is certainly an argument to be had for them to be installed in areas regularly plagued by fires, such as in California or Australia.”
Ritherdon has already had a number of big orders, from commercial construction companies and house builders.
Meeting Customer Needs Through Innovation
The latest iteration also allows access through the sides of the unit, a requirement from a customer that Ritherdon was able to fulfil with the addition of fireproof glands, which also passed the latest round of fire and smoke testing.
Brian added, “Cable access is a common question from our customers, we listened and decided to further test our methods in the latest round of testing.”
Visit Ritherdon at the Fire Safety Event (Stand 4/J25)
Brian will be attending the prestigious trade show with a number of other Ritherdon members of staff, including Managing Director, Ben Ritherdon.
Ben Ritherdon (pictured) said, “FireSeal is just the latest in a long line of innovative products we have developed in house. “Like the Passively Safe Cabinet, and the world’s first PVC Electrical Housing units, we designed our product with a specific purpose, which has wide reaching applications but does not negate the need for standard access panels.
“The ‘FireSeal’ in its name comes from the fact that our product actually seals itself when exposed to temperatures in excess of 150 degrees Celsius. “As far as we are aware, there aren’t any other products like this on the market, and we are delighted to be able to exhibit that, and our range of other FireSeal products, at the Fire Safety Event.”
The panel combines durability with ease of installation, making it suitable for a wide range of applications including commercial buildings, public sector projects, transport infrastructure and industrial facilities.
Other FireSeal products by Ritherdon include FireSeal Risers, R5 Meter Boxes and FireSeal Vented Panels.
Please visit the Ritherdon team on Stand 4/J25 at The Fire Safety Event.
