Just how important are fire doors?
As part of an overall passive fire protection strategy the answer is "very".
A fire doors function is to protect building occupants from the spread of fire and toxic smoke and are often the only barrier between you and a fully developed fire therefore it is essential that all aspects of the fire door are in full working order.
Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes it a legal requirement to ensure that fire resisting doors and escape doors are correctly installed and adequately maintained in order for them to be fit for purpose.
To achieve this your fire doors should be inspected at regular intervals normally every 6 months but may be more frequent dependant on use.
The following are the areas normally looked at during a fire door inspection and will give you an idea of the inspection process. Certification
Does the door have a fire door scheme label on the top, if not can you confirm it is in fact a fire door and has been certificated as such? Rating of Fire Door Set Fire door sets come in various sizes the most common been FD30 and FD60. If certification is not available then you can measure the thickness of the door FD30 (44mm) FD60 (54mm)
Door Leaf
Is the door frame firmly attached to the wall and is the frame to door leaf gap consistently 3mm all the way round?
Intumescent / Smoke Seals
Are intumescent seals in place, free from damage and continuous around the door frame or door leaf?
Hinges
Is there a minimum of 3 CE marked hinges fitted with all the screws present and are the screws the correct size?
Door Closers
Does the door close and engage with the latch when opened and is the closer securely attached to the door and frame?
Hold Open Devices
Does the hold open device release the door when required?
Glazing and Glass
Is the intumescent seal continuous and attached to the glass and bead? Also if the glass has been replaced is it fire rated and are glazing panels below 1500mm of the bottom of the door safety glass?
Is there a continuous gap under the door that allows the door to move and close without sticking on the flooring and is the floor to door gap consistently 10mm or less when the door is closed?
What happens if my fire doors fail and I have not had them inspected?
The consequences could be extreme and the worse case scenario is people could lose there lives as at Grenfell Tower and Lakanal House - tragic losses of life that could have been prevented had the correct fire safety management been in place.
You could also face prosecution from the fire service resulting in a large fine or even imprisonment if the seriousness of the offence warrants it.
Do not get caught out, ensure your fire doors are compliant by undertaking a fire door survey.
Any questions at all regarding fire doors please get in touch and we will be more than happy to assist you.
You can also download a copy of our fire door inspection checklist for your reference below.