Steel fire doors are often the first line of defence in a fire, and their correct specification, maintenance, and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants.
We rely on them to work correctly in the event of a fire by providing critical protection within a building such as escape routes (stairs and corridors) and places of relative safety, and in separating different fire hazards in a building.
As with any other life-saving product, a fire door should be checked regularly to ensure it functions correctly and is ready to use. It should be considered in exactly the same way as testing a smoke alarm or a fire extinguisher.
Any slight alteration to the door or its surroundings can affect the performance of a door. Periodic checks should be carried out at least every 6 months, or more regularly depending on the traffic using the door.
To save lives, they must work correctly, and there are some simple checks you can undertake depending on whether you are a building owner, or manager, a landlord or occupier.
Fire Door Safety Week is an award-winning campaign which raises awareness of the critical importance of fire doors in saving lives and protecting property.
They have provided these tips for a 5 Step Fire Door Check that anyone can do:
A risk assessment is an organised look at what, in your work activities and workplace, could cause harm to people. In the case of a fire, it is identifying possible causes of fire, the precautions you need to take to prevent something igniting and, in the event of a fire, how to reduce the risk to the occupants, building, and its contents.
5 key steps to undertaking a risk assessment:
Without the correct maintenance, the fire door could fail, so, as part of your risk assessment, you should complete the maintenance checklist by BWF-Certifire to ensure your fire doors are still in working order. Review and complete the checklist every 6 months for low usage buildings and every 3 months for high usage buildings.
