A major UK supplier serving the construction and fire protection industries has given a strong endorsement to Ritherdon’s latest passive fire safety innovation, describing its Mark lll FireSeal as a “game changer” and potentially “the best on the market.”

“No one wants to see another Grenfell incident,” said Shane Porter, Managing Director of Comyn Ching Architectural Components. “Ritherdon’s Mark lll FireSeal product is the only one we know of on the market today that has undergone such rigorous testing, including penetration testing.

“Ritherdon does a fantastic job as a responsible supplier in the way they produce and market their products.”

The new FireSeal range was launched earlier this year by historic Darwen based manufacturer Ritherdon, attracting positive feedback from the established supplier of fire protection products and equipment to the house building sector.

Ritherdon has been operating for 131 years and has built a strong reputation for producing high quality electrical enclosures and engineering solutions. Its expanding fire safety portfolio now includes the new to market Mark lll FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panel.

The panel cover was designed and manufactured in house to improve the fire performance of an existing panel or opening within a wall. It is designed to form a seal that helps protect against fire and smoke originating from either inside or outside a property.

Shane, whose business is based in Bury St. Edmunds, said: “This is a product that has been designed and manufactured to an exceptionally high standard, giving it the potential to stand the test of time.

“The fire sector is constantly changing, so it is important to anticipate future requirements as regulations continue to evolve.

“Ritherdon has future proofed its new Mark lll Fire cabinet by putting it through rigorous testing to the highest standards and accreditations.

“It is highly likely to remain viable in five years, which is exactly what our customers are looking for.”

Brian Derbyshire, Ritherdon Operations Director, has been responsible for overseeing the project over a number of years, including the company’s latest fire safety testing programme earlier this year.

Brian said: “All of our FireSeal products have been smoke sealed and subjected to comprehensive fire testing.

“Some manufacturers test access panels from just one direction. We wanted to ensure our products offered fire and smoke resistance from both sides, which is why all of our FireSeals have been smoke sealed and tested in both directions.”

The company’s thorough approach to the development and testing of its products is increasingly important to customers, particularly in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Shane Porter added: “Testing and accreditations are fundamental to the success and longevity of a product.

“No one wants to see another Grenfell Tower disaster.

“The rules and regulations have become increasingly demanding.

“Many of the larger fire companies we supply are closely following legislative developments.

“There has been a real demand for a product that has undergone penetration testing in both directions.

“Ritherdon is very cautious when it comes to making claims about what the cabinet can and cannot do.

“They have the testing evidence to support what the new fire cabinet will do, and that is what makes the product particularly impressive.”

The original Ritherdon design was developed more than 15 years ago. Since then, the company’s design team has revisited and enhanced the concept to create the latest FireSeal products. Recent testing showed that the access panel prevented fire from penetrating after more than an hour of exposure to temperatures of 1,000 degrees Celsius in a testing furnace.

FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panels can be used wherever an opening from outside a property leads into the interior. Their principal application is within buildings where multiple access panels are required between internal walls.

Brian said: “Fireproof board is normally installed at the rear of electrical boxes, but we recognised that this alone was not sufficient, particularly because standard units do very little to stop the spread of smoke.

“We use fireproof glands and intumescent seals within our devices to form an airtight seal, helping to prevent flames and smoke from passing through the access panel covers.

“Our FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panels can be installed on external walls, but their main application is inside blocks of flats and office buildings. In these settings, they are designed to prevent fire and smoke from passing through an internal wall during a fire.”

The FireSeal Fire Rated Access Panel was tested at Element PFP in High Wycombe, Bucks. It successfully completed the hour long fire and smoke test and remained effective for a further 12 minutes.

Ritherdon has already secured several significant orders from commercial construction companies and house builders.

Managing Director Ben Ritherdon said: “We are continually focused on delivering the highest quality products to our customers across all of our ranges.

“As far as we are aware, there is currently no other product like the Mark lll FireSeal available on the market.

“Achieving the highest standards of testing and accreditation was a key priority during the development process. We wanted to be completely satisfied with the product before bringing it to market.

“We are delighted to receive such positive feedback from a respected and long standing customer such as Comyn Ching Architectural Components. We greatly appreciate their comments.

“FireSeal is the latest addition to a long history of innovative products developed by our in house team.

“Like our world first Passively Safe Cabinet and the world’s first PVC external electrical enclosure, the product has been designed around a specific purpose with wide ranging applications, while still recognising that it does not remove the need for standard access panels.”