Fire doors are a legal requirement in commercial premises such as offices, shops & stores.
You will also find them in many other non-domestic premises such as schools, pubs & restaurants and care homes. HMO’s (house of multiple occupation) and Blocks of Flats will also have fire doors installed. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, states “the responsible person” in England and Wales should appoint a ‘Competent Person’ to oversee their fire safety management. Fire doors play an important part in reducing this risk in many buildings all of which should have a fire risk assessment carried out.
Fire risk assessments are a full audit of your premises, control measures and current policies. The fire risk assessment will highlight any fire risks with recommendations to reduce or eliminate these risks, including where fire doors should be used and what rating they should be.
What are fire doors?
Fire doors are an important part of your premises passive fire safety and overall fire safety management. When installed correctly they are there to stop the spread of fire & smoke and protect escape routes allowing people to exit the premises safely without being overcome by the effects of fire. Its not just the fire door itself that is important it’s the frame it is fitted in, hinges, seals and glazing that are just as important as the fire door itself
Is your door a fire door?
Just because a fire door keep shut sign has been fitted to a door does not make it a fire door. Fire doors will normally be identified by the appropriate certification normally found on top of the door or side.
What fire doors do I need?
This is normally determined by the Building Regulations and fire risk assessment. The most common ratings:
FD30
FD60
(Number denotes the time the door has been tested to ie, FD30 – 30-minute rated fire door – this does not mean it will last 30 minutes before failing in a fire situation) If the thickness of the door is less then 44mm then the door is unlikely to be fire rated.
Do I need fire doors in my HMO or Block of Flats?
Each flat entrance door within a block or door leading to the room of an HMO should be fire rated. If you have a flat on a floor that is 4.5m above ground level than a fire rated door should be fitted to all habitable rooms. A minimum of 30-minute fire rated door should be used for flats entrance doors and should be fitted with self-closers to protect the communal area.
Do fire doors need to be self-closing?
It depends…if the fire door is protecting an escape route or common area then they will need to have a self-closing device fitted. However it is a fire door to a store cupboard it can be kept locked shut which then removes the requirement for a self closer to be fitted.
Why fire doors should be kept closed
Put simply correctly installed fire doors do and will save lives....if they are kept closed. If you would like any further information on selecting the correct fire doors for your premises or information on the inspection process please get in touch.