In spite of a turbulent year overall, with the energy and cost-of-living crisis, tax hikes and a downturn in the housing market, Tamworth-based trade association, the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF), has declared 2023 one of its most productive years. Representing all the key players in the locks and building hardware, doorsets, industrial doors and shutters, domestic garage doors and automated gates sectors, the federation remains the ‘go to’ source of information, support and technical guidance to both its members and the industry.
The organisation has, this year, welcomed 42 new members, taking its membership number to 537 and it has continued to publish documents that offer guidance on industry standards, CE marking, and safety. In January, for example, it launched a best practice guide to CEN/TS 17814:2022, ‘Master Key System Data Protection’; this was followed by a technical briefing from the GAI and DHF, ‘Access Control on Escape Doors’ in February. In July, DHF took a further step toward the Golden Thread, with the ‘Product Data Templates’ for doorsets, and in November, it published a new Best Practice Guide, ‘Industrial Door Maintenance’ and templates for members only.
“At the very heart of DHF’s operations, of course, is its training programme and we pride ourselves on keeping the industry informed by delivering training that enables safe and compliant products to be put on the market, as well as provide the tools for the industry to prove its competence,” says DHF’s Commercial Director, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. In 2023, the organisation trained 1366 people and celebrated 10 years of DHF training by launching three new courses; the Fire Roller Shutter course in collaboration with BRE, a Level 2 Award in Dock Leveller Safety with The Association of Loading and Elevating Equipment Manufacturers (ALEM), and a Security & Emergency Exit Doorsets (non-fire) course. Over the course of this decade, it has trained a staggering 5235 unique learners, with many of these learners taking more than one course.
“The emphasis is all about proving competence in the workforce and DHF is no stranger to assisting the industry in doing this”, adds Patricia. “It offers a suite of courses to suit the various industries it serves, with some courses being formally accredited and that sit on the Ofqual Register. To further prove competence, there were a few other initiatives launched to complement the already established refresher courses, three newly introduced CPD certified webinars and one CPD certified course all registered with the CPD Certification Service.”
DHF’s profile continued to rise throughout the year; it was an important voice at The Security Event, Fencex and the MLA Expo. It also had representation at members’ Open Days, sponsored the Association of Fencing Industries (AFI) Awards 2023 in the Gate & Barriers Category, and has continued to support Fire Door Safety Week, and its own campaign, Gate Safety Month, an initiative that it launched in 2014.
“2024 will see Gate Safety Month celebrating its 10th anniversary,” adds Patricia.
2023 also saw DHF launching a quarterly electronic newsletter specifically for its members in Ireland, providing all relevant updates regarding legislation, standards, training, webinars and meetings.
“There is little doubt that DHF’s accomplishments in 2023 have been reinforced as a result of its hands-on team, and the expertise and efforts of its workforce,” concludes Patricia. “The organisation now employs 14 team members and continues to be a powerful voice in the press. An enduring commitment to training, and supporting our members through challenging legislation has helped to underpin our reputation as a centre of excellence. We will continue to ‘rise to the challenges’ that face the industry and will support our members and the sector. We look forward to 2024 with great enthusiasm.”
