We’ve all seen fire doors, whether that’s at work, in public buildings or in residential buildings. A fire door plays an important role in the event of a fire by saving lives and protecting personal and commercial property. Our experts at Employer Advice have put together a fire door checklist, if you need immediate advice get in touch with one of our experts here 01455 712 863.
What are fire doors?
Fire doors are a crucial part of your building’s fire safety procedure and defenses. They are designed to be a physical barrier within a building, helping to stop the spread of smoke and fire.
Fire doors are made from a combination of materials, such as timber, gypsum, aluminum and steel. As you’ve probably noticed, some fire doors contain windows. These glass panels are made from a fire-resistant material such as ceramic glass.
This has a higher fire resistance than standard glass and is typically reinforced with an anti-shatter wire mesh.
There are multiple different grades of fire doors that employers should be aware of. Each type will offer a different level of protection. Each grade will indicate how long they can provide some nominal fire protection, the following are the most common.
- FD30 can withstand up to 30 minutes
- FD60 can withstand up to 60 minutes
- FD90 can withstand up to 90 minutes.
- FD120 can withstand up to 120 minutes.
In the government’s fire safety approved document B, fire doors are required in domestic buildings that fit the following criteria.
- Over two storeys tall
- At each doorway leading to a stairwell – at every level from a habitual room.
Within commercial buildings, the requirements for fire doors will be different depending on the escape routes (whether they are vertical or horizontal, although they are typically located at the stairwells and corridors).
What is a fire door checklist?
A fire door checklist is part of your fire risk assessment and is used to ensure that the fire doors on your premises are up to standard, and aren’t broken or defective. A business owner or the responsible person should be carrying out the checks regularly, this will help save lives and also protect other parts of the business from the fire. These checks will also help you to keep on top of door repairs and any maintenance that the door may need.
As your fire doors are important when preventing the spread of fire and smoke, if a fault is spotted in a door, or it’s noted that it’s not in good working order. The door should be inspected and reported to the building owner immediately for repairs.
If you’re unsure of what steps you should be taking when going through your checklist, here are a few considerations for your fire doors.
Step 1: Certification
On your fire doors, you should look for signs of a label or plug on the edge of the door. This will tell you if the door is a fire door or not, it should also tell you who the manufacturer is, when it was made and the rating of the door. Some fire doors are also provided with a certificate or declaration, stating the level of fire protection they offer.
When you’re checking the fire door, remember the ironmongery (locks, latches, closers and hinges) should have the ‘CE’ mark, you must also ensure that this is compatible with the door leaf certification.
Step 2: Apertures
If the fire doors have been modified, changed or altered for glazing apertures, air transfer fills the certification void.
Step 3: Gaps and Seals
The gaps around your fire door frame should be checked regularly, you should ensure they are consistently around 3 or 4mm (or the thickness of a pound coin). The hinges (CE marked) should be fitted firmly with no missing screws.
While you are checking the gaps around the door, you should also ensure that the seals are in place at the top and sides of the door and are in good condition. These will prevent smoke and fire from getting through the door.
Step 4: Closures
When you are carrying out your checks on the doors, ensure they close properly on the latches from any position. You should check from 75mm from the closed position.
Step 5: Operation
While checking the door, check that the door closes prosperity around every part of the door frame within 10 seconds.
Get expert advice
Employer Advice has a team of dedicated HR and Health & Safety experts who only work with employers. With over 80 years of experience in helping employers take the stress of handling their Health and Safety obligations.
Get in touch with one of the team on 01455 712 863.