The Tamworth-based trade association represents manufacturers and installers of industrial and commercial doors and powered gates, as well as manufacturers of door and window locks, building hardware and architectural ironmongery.
Under the new procedures any company wishing to join the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) will have to send someone on a course. New joiners will initially be referred to as affiliate members until, in the case of applicants involved in automated gates, industrial doors and garage doors, at least one ‘responsible’ person (someone who can implement changes) at the company has completed the relevant DHF two-day diploma course.
Applicants for membership will also have to undertake a new company compliance assessment (CCA), a checklist of legal and compliancy requirements specific to the product. This vetting process will usually involves a visit to their premises by a member of DHF’s training and compliance team and/or a visit to a recent installation, to ensure the company is supplying and installing safe and legally compliant products.
Once trained and vetted, the applicant company will become a full member.
DHF commercial manager Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens said: “We are understandably delighted by the swell in membership but determined that ‘quality’ should not be compromised in any way by ‘quantity’. Being a member of DHF means something. Safety, compliance and legal responsibility lie at the very heart of what we do, so it is essential that we continue to retain the very high standards for which we are recognised across the industry. It is vital that both new – and existing – members adhere to the principles and values of the association in meeting these requirements.
“So far, the new processes have received the full backing and encouragement of our current members and those wishing to join DHF. Going forward, we will also be increasing the number of company compliance assessments carried out on existing members. DHF’s strapline is ‘Raising Standards, Safety Assured’ and these new measures demonstrate our continuing commitment to this benchmark.”
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