Polyframe extinguishes myths about locks with local fire crew

Polyframe Livingston teamed up with its local fire crew to deliver some potentially life-saving training on identifying door locks that can be breached quickly. The Green Watch crew from Livingston Fire Station visited Polyframe’s 50,000-square foot site in Livingston where the Polyframe team was on hand to share its expert knowledge on the three most common door locks that the firefighters would face during a call-out and how they could tackle them in an emergency. Green Watch then set about breaking into the locks and found that they could only break one of them with the readily available tools.

Martin Linden, managing director of Polyframe, Livingston, explains: “We all know that seconds count in a fire, literally making the difference between life and death, so this was an important exercise for the crew. We examined the different locks and talked about the common techniques used to snap the cylinder. The crew could not break some of the higher security locks.  If they were to face those locks in an emergency, they would eventually have to cut through the door or break it down to gain entry – all of which obviously costs valuable time. Thanks to this training, the team now knows which locks they can’t break quickly and, if they encounter them in a real-life situation, they can break the door without wasting time working on the lock.”

John McKenna, watch manager at Livingston Fire Station, said: “This was an extremely valuable training session for our people – the best they have done this year. We now have a greater understanding of modern door construction and the steps we would need to take when attempting entry. We were all impressed with the Polyframe door, which was fitted with high security hardware – we think it would be easier for us to gain access through the building wall if we came across one of those doors! 

“We are a large employer in the region and it’s important for us to develop strong links with our local community, so we were delighted to welcome Green Watch to our site for this training. It’s rewarding to have contributed towards protecting the lives of the 55,000 people who live in Livingston,” added Martin Linden.

Polyframe operates nationally and has four PVCu production sites in Norwich (fabricating Rehau), Halifax (fabricating Halo and Eurocell), Gloucestershire (fabricating Duraflex) and Livingston (fabricating VEKA) which will collectively fabricate more than 13,000 frames a week when the expansion is completed at Livingston.  Polyframe delivers first class support to help customers achieve greater efficiencies and enhance their businesses.Since its merger with Polyframe, the enlarged, full-service Customade Group is now the biggest fabricator in the UK with revenues of more than £100 million. The group brings together an enviable range of products and some industry-leading brands, which include Polyframe (PVCu), REAL Aluminium (aluminium), Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions (glazed roofs), Virtuoso Doors (composite doors and PVCu panels), Hourglass (sealed glass units), and Fineline Aluminium (specialist glazing).