Fire door safety
Fire door safety week aims to educate people about how to check the operation and condition of their fire doors.
A fire door is engineered to save lives and property.
Fire door safety week runs from the 25th September to the 1st October; the campaign aims to educate people about the importance of fire doors, and encourage building owners to check the operation and condition of their fire doors.
We want you to be able to identify whether your fire doors are working sufficiently and by following best practice, feel confident that your fire doors can provide life-saving time when needed.
Why is a fire door important?
Fire doors provide two important purposes in the event of a fire. Firstly, they ensure that if a fire breaks out it can be contained within the area that it started, delaying the fire and smoke from spreading. This allows people time to escape the premises.
The second purpose is to provide a safe means of escape in the event of a fire.
How do I know which doors are fire doors?
Fire doors are usually identified through signage (such as a blue ‘Fire Door’ or ‘Keep Closed’ sign), and by safety features such as door closers and intumescent strips or smoke seals around the edge of the frame.
They are also fire rated and there should display a certification mark on the top of the door. These ratings represent how they will function in a fire. All ratings begin with ‘FD’ and are followed by a number which tells you how many minutes of protection the door offers. For example, ‘FD 30’ would mean that the door offers at least 30 minutes of protection in the event of a fire.
When should I inspect my fire doors?
Fire doors should be checked regularly; the more they are used the more frequently they should be checked. Periodic checks should be carried out at least every six months, and doors which are used more regularly should be checked more often.
This maintenance checklist highlights the keys areas you need to inspect.
How do I inspect and maintain my fire door?
Fire door safety week is currently promoting a five step fire door check that anyone can do; you can read the five steps here.
If you have a legal responsibility for fire safety and do not feel competent to assess the suitability of fire doors yourself, you can contact a professional, such as Safetyboss, to help you.
For more information and advice about fire doors take a look at the Fire Door Safety Week website.
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