Firefighters get behind the scenes look at a fire test furnace

This week is Fire Door Safety Week, an initiative to help raise awareness of the crucial role fire doors play in buildings. Fire-protection glass is an important component within a fire door, and we regularly work with organisations to raise awareness of fire glass’ protective abilities.

We recently hosted the Cheshire Fire Service at our research and development centre in Lathom, to show the team how standard types of architectural glass reacts in the event of a fire and to discuss how fire-resistant glass helps prevent the spread of a blaze.

More than 20 fire fighters and fire protection officers joined us in the lecture theatre in Lathom for a presentation and Q&A session. 

The team also saw a live demonstration of how a fire resistant glass, Pilkington Pyrostop® performs in the event of a fire, using an on-site test furnace. Our Pilkington Pyrostop® fire-resistant glass exceeded the test requirements by over 50 per cent reaching temperatures of more than 850°C. You can see the test here:

In this video Steve Bond talks us through the testing process at our Lathom site for fire-resistant glass and explains what gives Pilkington Pyrostop the ability to withstand temperatures reaching 800 degrees for up to 30 minutes

This was the third-time we’ve hosted the Cheshire Fire Service in the last seven years. The day is run every few years to train new faces in the fire service, who may not have any knowledge of glass performance before, as well as to provide a refresher for the service’s veterans.

As a specialist fire glass product manufacturer, we have a duty to help fire services in understanding how glazing performs in the event of a blaze. By showing the team the test furnace, they can build up a better understanding of how fire glass can help prevent the spread of a fire.

We’re looking forward to welcoming the fire service again soon!

Fire Door Safety Week takes place between 25th September to 1st of October.