Category: Press Releases

New Product Alert: 60 minute fire lock Laundry Chute Electrical Interlock System.

Avene Furness, entrepreneur and founder of Chute Fire Certification UK is a finalist in the prestigious Women in Housing Awards. The awards recognise women that are the leaders, innovators and changemakers across the sector, shining a light on the incredible work carried out by teams and individuals in the past 12 months. Avene is a finalist in the ‘Woman of the Year: Leadership’ category, in recognition for her tireless commitment and passion for quality, safety and professionalism in this sector. Avene has significantly grown her business during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when many SMEs have struggled to survive. She is an experienced manager who recognises the importance of continual professional and personal development of herself and her employees. Avene set up her business and initiated an industry game-changer – only Certified Fire Technicians specialising in Refuse Chute Fire Compliance could inspect, maintain, and certify chutes in multi-story buildings. Because the industry is so competitive, other chute inspection companies have also upskilled their teams, forcing the whole industry to improve standards. The awards take place in Manchester on 7th September 2021, where Avene will join other finalists from organisations across the UK, including Peabody, several borough councils and housing trusts.

Quality and safety are top priorities at Chute Fire Certification UK, along with exemplary customer service. We also pride ourselves on innovative new products, manufactured here in the UK. We understand that customers need to have full confidence in new innovations, which is why we did not hesitate to instruct one of the leading independent senior fire engineers in the country to define the field of application for our Chute Safe Protection System. We asked them to assess that our refuse and laundry chutes provide a fire resistance performance when adjudged against BS476: Part 22: 1987. This assessment has been produced using the principles outlined in the Passive Fire Protection Forum (PFPF): ‘Guide to undertaking technical assessments of the fire performance of construction products based on fire test evidence, 2019, Industry Standard Procedure’. We are delighted to report that our Chute Safe Protection System has been successfully approved to provide a fire resistance performance of 240 minutes, based upon the test evidence and the subsequent analysis of the manufacturing and installation.  We are delighted to provide full confidence to our customers in the systems that we fit and maintain.

Chute Fire Certification UK (CFCUK) is delighted to be joining other finalists including the Royal Navy, 3M UK, DHL and Travis Perkins in The Safety and Health Excellent Awards 2020. CFCUK is a finalist in the ‘Innovation of the Year for Fire’ category with its new 2-in-1 Chute System. Their unique 4-hour system was undertaken to BS476: Part 22: 1987 which was performed by an independent UKAS accredited fire research facility. The only Chute system in the marketplace that combines two elements that work together – an automatic interlocking blade that will close when temperatures reach 72 degrees and a separate chute closure door which is fitted at head heights to ensure easy access by maintenance staff for safe change-over of bins and maintenance of the bin rooms. Managing Director Avene Furness-Monks is thrilled to be shortlisted and says “Being able to ensure easy and safe access for maintenance staff to change-over bins is even more important right now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, because everyone is staying home, and fire protection is essential.  It is even more important to keep residences safe from the dangers of fire spreading through the chutes and #teamCFCUK are proud to be playing our part in keeping people safe.” Chute Fire Certification UK supply’s and installs laundry and refuse chutes, as well as providing Fire Inspections for any type of premises.  Chute Fire Certification UK is an affiliate member of The Institute of Fire Safety Managers, to ensure its customers receive the highest possible standard of inspections.  They have developed an extensive knowledge of chute systems to be able to advise the best and most cost-effective solution, as well as manufacturing chutes and passive fire products through their sister company VB Engineering Group Limited.

When Avene Furness created Chute Fire Certification UK, she did so because she believed passionately in doing the right thing and offering a superior level of quality to managers of multi occupancy buildings. The value proposition that Avene and her team offer to their clients is a great customer experience and peace of mind – delivered through Certified Fire Technicians and Qualified Chute Engineers trained to the highest industry standards who continue their learning journeys with Continuous Professional Development. Chute Fire Certification UK has gone from strength to strength, launching innovative products and bespoke solutions for their clients’ individual requirements. This success hasn’t gone unnoticed by competitors, leading Avene to formally trademark Chute Fire Certification UK in order to protect the brand. This has been driven, in part, by some competitors setting up websites with very similar names. Chute Fire Certification UK’s new Registered Trademark status ensures that new and existing customers will instantly know that they are working with the company that they know and trust. “I am so proud of what we have achieved, and the high standard of training and qualifications achieved by every member of the team. Competency is critical, and we work incredibly hard at demonstrating this with every project that we undertake. The team and I go that extra mile to ensure that we make a difference, not only for our client’s requirements but within the Chute Service industry. We are setting industry standards and we are now protecting the great reputation that we have built” concludes Avene.