Fire Rated Mailboxes with two hour integrity

As part of our ongoing commitment to R&D and market reassurance, we have further tested and assessed our Fire Rated products.

FRI, FR2 & FR3, three fire rated mailbox models had already been tested by Warrington Fire to the previous BS 476 Part 22: 1987 standard, which meant that they had all achieved a 60-minute fire rating.

However, we wanted to push our fire rated mailboxes even further. Over time, demand for fire rated mailboxes has grown, especially for use inside fire escape areas such as apartment lobbies and reception areas. We wanted to extend the test to 2 hours to ensure that the area commonly used as an evacuation point was capable of holding back a fire or containing a fire for at least that time, giving everyone confidence in the products abilities.

To achieve this, we sent our fire rated mailboxes, which already had a 60-minute fire rating, to Warrington Fire for a 120-minute integrity only test. In October 2019 and October 2020 we tested these mailboxes at Warrington Fire as singles and as banks in order to see exactly how they would perform in a fire situation. On both occasions they passed the 2 hour test with no failures.

The test involved removing the backs of the mailboxes to simulate a fire inside and to the rear and to do so they were placed in a furnace which was turned up to 1030 degrees C. The test was concluded at 136 minutes, and our mailboxes showed no signs of weakness or deterioration. They passed the test and are now fire rated for two hours, complying to the new BS EN 1363-1:2012 standard. The tests resulted in assessments produced for freestanding, on or in a masonry wall and on or in a plasterboard wall.

We are so proud of this achievement, as offering safe mail solutions has always been a top priority for us as a business. As a reliable British and trusted manufacturer we always offer additional safety advice and guidelines when using fire rated mailboxes within a fire wall.

Full advice and guidance is offered by our team to ensure full consideration is given to the handling of these products on site.

Fire Rated Standards – Guidelines we work to

BS 476 – PART 22

This superior group of Fire Rated products contain a series of features and benefits that result in a ‘two hour integrity’ rating. As a result of many complex features, this product range is the more costly option, and satisfies the demands of the fire officer if a higher specification is required.

CLASS 0 RATING : BS 476 PART 6 & 7

The Class 0 rating can be achieved by formally testing materials to BS476: Part 7 and Part 6. This group will satisfy the demands of fire protection in most cases, and provide an affordable alternative if Class 0 is required. The Safety Letterbox Company have Part 6 & 7 tested products carried out by EXOVA Warrington fire that have complied with the requirements for Class 0 surface spread of a material or composite product, as defined in para A13b of Approved Document B, ‘Fire Safety’ to the Building Regulations 2000.

Research and Development

At The Safety Letterbox Company, our Research and Development team worked with Exova Warrington to become the first company to achieve full Fire Rating (two hour integrity only) to BS 476 Part 22, on this specifically created group of products. We continue to push the boundaries and be at the forefront of Fire Rated product advances, we are currently investing in further testing and R&D to enable us to expand the range in this area.

Featured Fire Rated Projects