Privacy Policy

At Gerda Security we respect the privacy of our customers and visitors to our website. This policy is concerned with how we collect information, what we do with it and what controls you have.

Who are we and what do we do?

In this policy ‘we’ are the Gerda Group of companies whose registered address is Gerda House, 54 Chiswick Avenue, Suffolk IP28 7AY.

We design and manufacture products to help improve security and fire safety in buildings. We work with organisations in building refurbishment and new build within the built environment and advise on information that may be helpful for building specification, fire safety guidance, security guidance and any requirements that affect products and services we supply to the built environment.

We respect the privacy of our customers and prospective customers and take our duty of processing your personal data very seriously. Our privacy policy explains how we collect, manage, use and protect your data.

This document may change from time to time to keep you up to date with what we do with your information. We ask you to please check intermittently to see if changes have been made to keep advised.

What personal data we collect?

Gerda Security Products Ltd is, under the General Data Protection Regulation, what is known as a ‘controller’ of the personal data you provide to us. This personal data normally relates to name, email address, postal address (normally where your organisation is based) and telephone number which may be a landline and / or mobile number and your IP address. We may also collect information on delivery addresses or financial information. This data is necessary for us to fulfil your request or to enable us to give you a more personalised service. The data is necessary for the legitimate commercial objectives we pursue in the course of our business.

Why we need it?

We collect your personal data in connection with product or service requests for information, to carry out an order or contract, customer feedback on our products / services and information you provide on our site and applications.

The information is either needed to fulfil your request or to enable us to provide you with a more personalised service. You don’t have to disclose any of this information to browse our sites. However, if you choose to withhold requested information, we may not be able to carry out tasks to your benefit.

Legitimate interests

Under the new data protection law (GDPR) in May 2018, we have a number of lawful bases on which we process your personal information. The main basis on which we process, is that of legitimate interests.

Broadly speaking ‘Legitimate Interests’ means that we can process your personal information if ‘we have a genuine and legitimate reason and we are not harming any of your rights and interests.’

So, what does this mean? When you provide your personal details to us we use your information for our legitimate business interests to carry out our work providing fire safety and security products and services for your organisations for the built environment. We will also carefully consider and balance any potential impact on you and your rights under data protection laws.

Our legitimate business purposes include personal processing:

Where the processing enables us to enhance, modify, personalise or otherwise improve our services / communications for the benefit of our customers and prospective customers.
Direct marketing: from time to time we send information that may be of interest via email or post to advise on our educative (CPD) seminars, updates on guidance/legislation and how these affect products and services as well as product updates relevant to the market sector and notifications on exhibitions.
Protection against fraud in the course of completing a contract or order.
Network and information security – to enhance the security of our systems
To determine the effectiveness of promotional campaigns and advertising
To conduct due diligence
As required by law and evidential purposes

We do not use your data for profiling or for automated individual decision-making and we do not sell on or rent your data. We do not transfer your data to a third country or international organisation.

Your interests

When we process your personal information for our legitimate interests, we will consider and balance any potential impact on you and your rights under data protection and any other relevant law. Our legitimate business interests do not automatically override your interests – we will not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law).

We do not wish to hold your data unnecessarily and you have the right to object to us processing the data. Please bear in mind that whenever we process data for these purposes we will keep your Personal Data Rights in high regard and take account of these rights. If you object to us processing the data, this may affect our ability to carry out the above tasks for your benefit.

Any requests for data objections, for data held, rectification of data or elimination of data or questions about our privacy policy should be sent to our managedata@gerdasecurity.co.uk email address or by post to our postal address.

How do we obtain your data?

We collect your personal information in a number of ways:

When you provide it to us directly.
When you provide permission to other organisations to share it with us (including Twitter and other social networks)
When we collect it as you use our websites or apps.
When you have given it to a third party and you have provided permission to pass your information on to us.
Through our own research with your organisation

We combine the information from these sources with the information you provide to us directly.

We hold personal data as outlined for the period of time to be able to fulfil your order and for the servicing or maintenance of the product; for the purposes of traceability for financial transactions and product warranties or for evidential purposes which may be up to 10 years. We review contact details for direct marketing purposes on a 12 monthly basis.

Storage of data

We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy. All information you provide to us via the website is stored on secure servers. All information you provide to us in the course of our legitimate business purposes is held in encrypted servers. We use administrative, technical and physical measures to safeguard personal information against loss, theft and unauthorised uses, access or modifications.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our site; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

Our website may contain links to and from third party websites. Please note that if you follow a link to any of these websites or download an app, these websites and apps will have their own terms of use and privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility of liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites or apps.

Information about our use of Cookies:

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.

What is a cookie?

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your device when you visit a website. Cookies are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognises that cookie.

Cookies are useful because they allow a website to recognise a user’s device.

Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, remembering your preferences, and generally improve the user experience. The cookies we use cannot harm your computer. They help us to identify and resolve errors, or to determine relevant related products to show you when you’re browsing.

They can also help to ensure that adverts you see online are more relevant to you and your interests. The cookies used on this website have been categorised based on the categories found in the ICC UK Cookie guide. A list of all the cookies used on this website by category is set out below, with a note as to whether we use them; and then some details of the actual cookies on the site, their purpose, and what to do if you do not consent to any specific cookies being used. Please note however that since we only use cookies where they will be of benefit, any failure to consent may limit your use of this site.

Category 1: Strictly necessary cookies:

These cookies enable services you have specifically asked for.

These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features.

WE DO USE THIS CATEGORY OF COOKIE ON OUR SITE

Category 2: Performance Cookies:

These cookies collect anonymous information on the pages visited.

These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.

By using our website, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.

WE DO USE THIS CATEGORY OF COOKIE ON OUR SITE

Category 3: Functionality Cookies:

These cookies remember choices you make to improve your experience.

These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

By using our website, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.

WE DO USE THIS CATEGORY OF COOKIE ON OUR SITE

These are the cookies used on our site:

Cookie name	Category	Purpose	More information
Session ID cookie	1	Standard ASP.NET cookie containing the user’s session ID.	Expires as soon as user navigates away
Google Analytics	2	Utilised by Google Analytics to track visitor’s data on the website.	http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/concepts/gaConceptsCookies.html
Preferred Culture Cookie	3	Storing details of the users preferred CMS culture	Type: Culture Code, Expires: 1 year
Preferred Current Theme	3	Storing details of the users preferred site theme

You may be able block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies as soon you visit our site.

If you do not consent to cookies being placed, you must notify us of the cookies to which you do not consent.

Except for essential cookies, all cookies will expire after 12 months.

Website Information terms and conditions

None of the material on this website may be published, broadcast, re-written or re-distributed in any form without the expressed written permission of Gerda® or the copyright holder of the material.

However, any person is hereby authorised to view, copy, and print any document(s) or image(s) published by Gerda® on its WWW server or any other published source provided that:

Reference to Gerda® is made when the document(s) or image(s) is used, as follows:
©MMIII Gerda®
The document is used for informational purposes only,
The document is used for personal and non-commercial purposes only,
The document will not be copied or posted on any network computer or broadcast in any media,
No modifications of any documents are made.

Use for any other purpose is expressly prohibited by law, and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. Violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible.

Note that any product, process or technology described in a document on this server may be subject of other Intellectual Property Rights reserved by Gerda® and not licensed hereunder.

Trademarks & Copyright

The trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, images, and other indications of origin displayed in this website (“Trademarks”) are owned by Gerda® or a third party who has granted Gerda® a right to use them in this website. Nothing contained herein should be construed as granting the browser or user of this website the right to use any Trademark displayed in this site without the written permission of the owner of the Trademark. Copyright © 2023 Gerda Security Products, All rights reserved.

Disclaimer

By using this website you agree that:

If you are dissatisfied with any portion of the Gerda® Web Site, or with any of these terms and conditions of use, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using this website,
You will be bound by these Rules of Use. Gerda® reserves the right to revise the Rules of Use at any time, without notice, and you hereby agree to be bound by such changes. The permission granted herein by Gerda® may be terminated at any time without cause or notice,
You may not, without express permission from Gerda®, take any pages from this Web Site and reformat and display them. You also may not mirror any pages on your website,
Your use of this website does not create a license or any other rights in Gerda® trademarks, service marks, copyrights, or any other intellectual property or proprietary rights.

Gerda® are not responsible for the content of, nor aware of all sites that are linked to this website. The fact that another website is linked to this website does not imply that:

Gerda® sponsors, licenses, endorses, is affiliated with or is otherwise connected to the site, the products or services described therein or its owner,
Gerda® have authorised the linked site to use any trademark, trade name, logo or other trademarked or copyrighted material of Gerda®.

In general, Gerda® believe that persons who make information available on the World Wide Web or in newsgroups do so with the expectation that such information will be publicly and widely available. Gerda® further believes that its making newsgroup postings and links to publicly accessible Web pages available at this site is legally permissible and consistent with the common, customary expectations of those who make use of the Web and Usenet communications media;

We catalogue traffic patterns throughout the site, including identifying browser and system data. We gather this data to optimise site conditions for our users.

License Disclaimer

Nothing on any Gerda® document shall be construed as conferring any license under any of Gerda® or any third party’s intellectual property rights, whether by estoppels, implication, or otherwise.

Content and Liability Disclaimer

Gerda® shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions contained at this website, and reserves the right to make changes without notice. Accordingly, Gerda® and third party information is provided “AS IS”. Gerda® disclaim all warranties with regard to the information provided, including the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you.

In no event shall Gerda® be liable for any damages whatsoever, and in particular Gerda® shall not be liable for special, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages, or damages for lost profits, loss of revenue, or loss of use, arising out of or related to Gerda® website or the information contained in it, whether such damages arise in contract, negligence, tort, under statute, in equity, at law or otherwise.

Who we are

Suggested text: Our website address is: https://gerdanew.seeksocialdevelopent.xyz.

Comments

Suggested text: When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service Privacy Policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

Suggested text: If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

Suggested text: If you leave a comment on our site you may opt in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Suggested text: Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who we share your data with

Suggested text: If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How long we retain your data

Suggested text: If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights you have over your data

Suggested text: If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where your data is sent

Suggested text: Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

Gerda Security Products Ltd Building Safety Policy

1. Purpose

The safety of building occupants and compliance with the Building Safety Act 2022, Fire Safety Act 2021, and related regulations are our top priorities. This policy outlines Gerda Security Products Ltd’s commitment to ensuring that our products, services, and engagements with clients support and align with building safety requirements, providing clear communication and accountability throughout the building lifecycle.

Objectives:

Ensure that our fire door sets, access control products, and emergency access solutions meet the latest fire safety and regulatory standards.
Assist clients in complying with their responsibilities under the Building Safety Act, through detailed product documentation, installation, and ongoing maintenance support.
Maintain a resident-first approach, ensuring that all safety-critical products enhance occupant safety and that information is effectively communicated to clients and residents.
Collaborate with fire engineers on fire stopping measures and non-standard fire door installations, ensuring that all safety designs and solutions meet regulatory standards.
Contribute to the Golden Thread by maintaining accurate and up-to-date safety information, supporting clients through all building stages, from design to occupation.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all staff at Gerda Security Products Ltd and covers our supply of fire door sets, access control products, and related services. We focus on buildings that meet the criteria for higher-risk residential buildings (HRBs), which are 18 meters or more or at least seven storeys high, and complex buildings across various sectors.

Our products are used in:

High-rise residential buildings
Schools
Hospitals
Student accommodation
Sheltered accommodation
Hotels
Ministry of Defence (MOD) facilities
Commercial buildings with high safety needs

Where non-standard installations, including fire stopping, are required, Gerda works closely with fire engineers to ensure compliance with fire safety standards and the building’s overall safety design. This collaboration ensures that our products meet the specific needs of each project and are installed according to best practices.

4. Compliance and Regulatory Framework

Gerda Security Products Ltd adheres to all relevant fire safety legislation, including:

Building Safety Act 2022
Fire Safety Act 2021
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Building Regulations (Approved Document B)
BS EN 1634 for fire door testing standards
BS 8214:2016 for timber fire door assembly and installation

For complex fire door installations and where additional fire stopping measures are required, we collaborate with fire engineers to ensure that the design, materials, and methods used are fully compliant with fire safety regulations. Our fire engineers also play a crucial role in providing expert input during Gateway 2 change control applications, ensuring that all modifications or designs adhere to regulatory and safety standards.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive: Ensures the organisation’s strategic commitment to fire safety. The CEO works closely with fire rescue services to develop products such as the Premises Information Box (PIB) and other life-saving tools. This role also guarantees that the organisation adopts the highest fire safety standards, setting a benchmark with primary-tested doorsets and products that provide critical protection during emergencies.

Head of Sales: Ensures that clients are fully informed about the safety features and compliance aspects of Gerda’s products. This role involves working with Principal Designers and fire engineers to ensure that non-standard installations, including those requiring fire stopping, meet both regulatory and design-specific safety requirements.

Operations Director: Responsible for overseeing manufacturing, ensuring that all products meet stringent safety standards, and for managing the Project Management team, who liaise with clients on delivery, installation scheduling, and day-to-day project operations. The Operations Director ensures the timely and compliant delivery of products and services, with close collaboration with fire engineers on projects requiring additional fire safety measures.

Head of Technical: Manages all test evidence and certifications for Gerda products, ensuring compliance with national and international fire safety standards. This role works closely with fire engineers to advise on complex installations, including fire stopping measures and non-standard fire door setups, ensuring that all products meet regulatory requirements and fit within the building’s fire safety design.

Installation Teams: Follow rigorous installation protocols compliant with PAS8671/8672 standards. The team ensures that all installations meet the requirements of the Golden Thread, documenting every step to provide full traceability for safety inspections. They also engage with fire engineers to ensure that fire stopping measures are correctly specified, installed, and documented, maintaining the building’s overall fire integrity.

6. Product Compliance

Gerda Security Products Ltd ensures that all fire doors and access control products meet the highest fire safety and compliance standards, including:

BS EN 1634-1 fire resistance testing standards for doors.
BS 8214:2016 for the installation and maintenance of timber-based fire doors.
BS 9999: 2017 for fire safety in building design and management.

In cases where complex or non-standard installations are required, we collaborate with fire engineers to specify and implement fire stopping measures that ensure the fire doors maintain the building’s overall fire resistance and compartmentation. This collaboration guarantees that all installations meet fire safety regulations and integrate seamlessly into the building’s fire strategy.

Non-Compliance: Alterations to fire doors or installations that deviate from Gerda’s test evidence will invalidate the warranty and may compromise the product’s safety certification.

7. Golden Thread of Information

Gerda Security Products Ltd is fully committed to supporting the Golden Thread as required by the Building Safety Act 2022. We ensure that all product-related safety data is accurate, structured, and easily accessible, supporting clients through every stage of the building lifecycle.

We ensure:

Digital-first management of all critical product data, including test certificates, installation guides, and maintenance schedules.
Real-time access to product data for Accountable Persons, Building Safety Managers, and other relevant stakeholders, enabling them to meet regulatory inspections and compliance reviews.
A rigorous change control process that ensures updates to safety information are recorded and tracked in accordance with the Golden Thread requirements.

When projects involve non-standard installations or fire stopping, we work with fire engineers to ensure that all fire safety measures are captured in the Golden Thread, with clear documentation outlining the fire stopping solutions used and their compliance with the building’s overall fire safety plan.

8. Client and Resident Engagement

We work closely with our clients to ensure full transparency and support during all phases of building safety, from product selection to post-installation.

We engage with our clients by:

Offering expert guidance and support during the Gateway Two process, particularly in our role as Principal Contractor, to ensure safety compliance is achieved.

Engaging with fire engineers and Principal Designers to ensure that fire stopping and non-standard installations meet both regulatory and design-specific safety requirements.

Providing clear communication on maintenance and testing requirements for all products and offering ongoing maintenance packages to support building safety.

Ensuring that Accountable Persons and Building Safety Managers have all necessary safety documentation for inclusion in their Building Safety Cases.

Working with clients to ensure that residents are informed of relevant safety procedures and product use, providing user-friendly manuals and clear safety instructions.

11. Monitoring and Review

This policy will be reviewed every six months as part of an agreed policy review programme. In the event of significant changes to legislation, regulation, or best practices, an immediate review will be initiated to ensure compliance.

This collaborative approach ensures that our products integrate seamlessly into fire safety designs, and that fire stopping measures are appropriately specified, documented, and maintained in line with the Golden Thread and the client’s Building Safety Case. Reviews of these processes will be included in the overall policy review to ensure ongoing compliance with best practices and evolving safety requirements.