In this post we talk about what a fire door inspection is, what’s included, who can do them and how often they need to be done.
But first, let’s look at some stats.
‘Fire Door Inspections…where shall we start? Well… Let’s just say it how it is. The Fire Safety Order 2005 says that the Responsible Person for non-domestic buildings must check that fire doors and frames are correctly installed to effectively prevent the spread of fire. So inspecting fire doors is the law and fire door inspections save lives. And don’t forget, if you have had any works, damages or modifications on or around your doors, fire ratings can become redundant. So it always pays to know where you’re at and put safety first.’
Richard Franks, Technical Manager, Pyro Fire
Firstly, what is a Fire Door?
Fire doors can vary in design. From functional plain doors to attractive glazed ones. The most common type of fire door is an FD30. An FD30 fire door – at least one that’s installed correctly – is designed to last a minimum of 30 minutes in a fire. An FD60…yes you’ve guessed it…is designed to last 60 minutes. FD60 fire doors are most commonly used in commercial environments.
What is a Fire Door Inspection?
A fire door inspection is a process where you assess and confirm if the door set, as installed, will perform exactly as it’s supposed to in the event of a fire. An inspection looks at all of the components of the fire door against an agreed pass or fail protocol.
Fire Door Inspections – what do we need to check?
Here is a basic list of what a competent person should check during a fire door inspection.
- door closers
- relevant markings that identify the fire rating
- locks and latches
- vision panels and glazing
- cold smoke seals
- intumescent seals (ones that swell)
- hinges and all door hardware
- condition, fitting and operation
- signage
- operation of hold open devices
- gaps between the leaf and frame
- door frames
- door leaves
- materials used in the installation
‘The fire rating of a door is affected by all of its hardware. Things like hinges, closers, handles and locks are all integral to the fire rating. Fire door rating is also dependant on the installation, so we have to check how the door is mounted and the integrity of the surrounding walls, floors, lintels and architraves. It can be difficult, if you’re unfamiliar with the standards, to determine whether a fire door is suitable. It’s especially tricky for buildings where older fire doors have been installed that may have been modified or damaged over time.’
How often do your fire doors need to be inspected?
It depends on usage and type. But it could be monthly, every 3 months, 6-monthly or annually. Check out article 17 of the Fire Safety Order where it says that it’s advisable for you to set up regular planned preventative maintenance for fire doors. Other useful references are BS 8214: 2016, Clause 13, and BS 9999: 2017, Annex I.
Who can carry out fire door inspections?
As per the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) 2005, a competent person should carry out fire door inspections. To become competent takes at least twelve months. It requires classroom learning and the submission of portfolio evidence to an experienced assessor. Other factors like experience come into play too, and any competent person must stay up to date with legislation changes and updates to building regs. Every fire door inspector here at Pyro Fire is fully certified and up to date.
Fire Door Inspections with Pyro Fire
At Pyro Fire we’re the experts in fire safety and compliance. We’re a team of incredibly experienced assessors, inspectors and surveyors and we work throughout the UK to meet your fire safety needs. We have grown to help more than 500 clients in the UK, we continue to grow steadily, and we have every accreditation that you could want from your fire safety experts. We’re pleased to say that our recent customer satisfaction surveys has given us excellent feedback, especially for responsiveness and value. Thank you for reading.
To find out more about our Fire Door Inspections, Fire Risk Assessments or anything else related to fire safety ate your workplace, enquire online or call us on 0330 133 2150.
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