Noncertified Fire Doors Installed in 25 Buildings on the Recently Constructed Ministry of Interior (MOI) Compound in Kabul, Afghanistan
Abstract
I am writing to alert you to a serious safety issue involving noncertified fire doors installed in 25 buildings on the recently constructed Ministry of Interior (MOI) compound in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan funded the construction of the compound, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) administered the contracts. The use of noncertified fire doors, despite contract requirements calling for certified fire doors for specific rooms, corridors, and stairwells, raises concerns about the safety of the buildings, whether the government overpaid for inferior products, and whether the contractors defrauded the government when they installed doors that did not meet contract requirements. Although this letter focuses on the MOI compound, our concerns extend to all completed and ongoing USACE construction projects in Afghanistan that required the installation of certified fire doors. Fire doors protect the main paths occupants may use to exit a building when a fire occurs and are designed to limit the spread of smoke and flames. Lack of such protection in the event of a fire increases the occupants' risk of injury or death. Independent laboratories, such as the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), Factory Mutual Engineering and Research (FM), or Warnock Hersey-Interteck (WHI), use National Fire Protection Agency and UL standards to test and certify doors, frames, hardware, and other components of a fire door assembly to ensure that they are manufactured to fire resistant specifications. USACE's contracts for the MOI compound required the use of certified fire doors with a metal label permanently attached to the door and door frame at the factory. According to the contract, the label must bear the UL, FM, or WHI logo and relevant fire rating information. We use the term "certified fire rated doors" in this letter to refer to doors manufactured with approved UL, FM, or WHI logos.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 05, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1139948
Entities
People
- John Sopko
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction