This European Standard specifies a method for characterizing the influence on fire performance of items of building hardware for incorporation into hinged or pivoted vertically installed fire door assemblies (having either one or two leaves) or vertically installed openable window assemblies, of known fire resistance of up to and including 240 minutes integrity (and where relevant insulation) in accordance with EN 1634-1. It applies to the testing of building hardware for use on hinged and pivoted doors and openable windows which include framed glazed doors and windows, but not glass doors. It does not include a test for durability or other performance characteristics, which should be evaluated according to the product standard for the item of building hardware or as given in EN 14600. The method is suitable for characterizing building hardware for use on non-metallic door or window assemblies consisting of cellulosic materials or mineral boards faced with cellulosic materials, hung in either cellulosic, mineral cored or metal frames: or conventional steel doors made from sheet steel, not more than 1,5 mm thick, hung in steel frames (steel doors include doors filled with mineral board or mineral fibre cores but not steel clad timber/cellulosic doors). The size of these assemblies can be up to that given in the field of direct application for the door leaf construction concerned. This method is not directly appropriate for evaluating building hardware for use on glass or glazed doors with decorative perimeter framing. The appropriateness of this method of test can be established by reference to the flow chart given in Annex A. This European Standard does not constitute a fire resistance test for a leaf, window, frame, intumescent seal, or anything other than the selected item of building hardware. The use of any resulting field of direct application is restricted to leaf and frame constructions which have been successfully tested to EN 1634-1. The method has been developed primarily to permit the evaluation of building hardware for hinged or pivoted door assemblies and openable windows, but the method is also suitable for evaluating some items of building hardware, which are non-edge mounted, for use with sliding doors and openable windows.