Here at Evolution you have probably read that we specialise in Passive Fire Protection, covering a large proportion of the demands of rules regulations. But it hasn't always been that way, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up, right?
Managing Director Jonathan started out in construction gaining experience in a variety of fields before, along his path, being introduced to Fire Protection. Jonathan began his journey in fire protection by simply fitting fire doors.
In 2017 the unfortunate event of the Grenfell fire occurred, in which the high-rise building broke out into flames. The building burned for 60 hours leaving 70 people dead, two later dying in hospital and more than 70 were left injured. It was recorded the deadliest structural fire in the UK since 1988. This is where interest sparked, the rate of the fire spread was a cause for concern resulting in several building inspections and research.
From this came horrific findings within the inquiry...
Most of the fire doors at the entrance to the 120 flats had been replaced in 2011 but neither they or the original doors still left in place, complied with fire testing evidence.
The lifts failed to perform effectively, hindering the transportation of firefighting equipment and creating an "unnecessary risk" to residents who could not use it as a means of escape.
The stairwell, the only escape route in the tower, became clogged with smoke and then hit by fire.
The fire service had to pump its own water into the tower as the buildings "dry fire main" system was "non-compliant" with guidance at the time of construction and was "non-compliant with current standards"
The smoke control system did not operate correctly, reducing the ability to improve both escape and firefighting conditions.
There was a lack of regulations requiring a central alarm system in residential buildings such as Grenfell Tower at the time.
Existing building guidelines and tests allow "obvious dangers" to be incorporated into cladding systems routinely.
An "architecture crown" fitting at the top of the tower caught alight and fell down, allowing the fire to move around the tower not just up.
The inquiry bought new regulations defining the importance of Fire Protection systems within high rise buildings increasing demand for fire doors and fitters. This is where Evolution come in!
We began in a small unit quickly growing in demand and size, forming great partnerships along the way. From learning the ropes of manufacturing our fire doors to gaining qualifications and quality fitting on site, Evolution has done nothing but grow in the field of Fire Protection.
Our aim has always been to better fire protection in public sectors, preventing devastation and essentially saving lives. The prime purpose for fire doors and compartmentation is to stop the progress of fire and smoke, thus supporting both escaping occupants and fire-fighting activities.
This drive to better fire protection grew early 2023 when one of our existing projects had an electrical fault causing a fire with 30 members of staff still in the building. Thankfully earlier that week we had installed our EVO30 door sets which prevented any spread of fire and smoke also allowing those in the building to get out in good time. There were certainly lessons learnt and motives reinforced from this occurrence, our correctly fitted fire doors saved lives and here at Evolution we are reminded that this is why we do what we do. We are incredibly proud of our fitters for this job and thankful that all staff involved in the incident were safe and well.
Our state of the art manufacturing base allows us to supply single and multiple fire doors to suit your specifications. All products are certified providing 30 & 60-minute fire protection. The Pilkington glazing used in our doors and screens is the UK’s most versatile and reliable suit of fire-resistant glazing, tried, tested and trusted within the fire protection industry. To complete your door set we have a wide range of ironmongery choices from one of our partners. Product design and finishing can be discussed upon consultation, we have a range of existing designs however bespoke designing can be considered.
Our affiliation with PFC Technical Services Ltd allows us to provide extensive expertise on the passive fire protection elements for timber floor constructions, as well as stud partitioning. All PFCTS Fire protection systems are supported with UKAS accredited test data, independently tested by BRE Global. Both systems meet the current regulations of Document B for both integrity and insulation providing a minimum of 1 hour fire protection.
The years have seen us obtain many accreditations to give our clientele confidence in our working processes and products. We take pride in what we do and have a proven passion for passive fire protection. Our service provision is second to none and we invest in the best systems of management and working procedures to ensure that all projects and products get over the line both safely and complying with regulations.
We also provide a maintenance service as it is mandatory that fire doors are checked every six months. This regulation has seen us invest in a new form of tracking through interactive doors pins. These interactive doors pins are a new form of traceability that supports us in seeing the doors status without having to visit the site. Each door will give an MOT style report that is automatically issued in real time whenever the inspection is completed. This is then shown as a dashboard overview showing the compliance status, any serious non-conformities can then be repaired at the earliest convenience. This is a huge step forward for both us and our clientele, we are being assured that our doors are consistently compliant and the client has a product that is functioning optimally.
Evolution truly defines its name outside of biology as a process of formation or growth development and is exactly what we have and continue to do. Jonathan and the team are highly driven in their field to optimise fire protection in the multiple sectors. We will continue to learn, innovate and grow as the industry changes by carrying out our role with the upmost standard.
The year 2024 is bringing even more exciting advancements, starting off with the beginning of a new move into our larger manufacturing unit. Whist still working from our smaller manufacturing base, we're also working on the changes to our manufacturing processes. The new unit is being kitted out with a spraying facility and glass cutting department alongside our distribution unit.
So watch this space, Evolution is growing again!
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