Fire Door Safety Week is a yearly campaign run by the British Woodworking Federation aimed to increase awareness of the important role fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property.
Fire doors play a vital role in preventing the spread of fire and smoke, and it is important to ensure that they are properly installed and maintained.
During Fire Door Safety Week, businesses and individuals are encouraged to check their fire doors and make sure that they are in line with the most recent advice and in good working order.
This includes ensuring that doors are of the correct certification level, that hinges are in good condition, and that door closers are working properly.
By taking a few simple steps, we can all help to keep our homes and workplaces safe from fire.
Download our fire door inspection checklist.
5 Step Fire Door Check
Certification
It is important to verify that a fire door has been purchased from a certified third party to ensure it will perform correctly in the event of a fire.
The certification label also makes it easier to check details and information with the manufacturer should any changes or modifications need to be made to the door.
The label will be located on the top edge of the door.
Gaps
It is essential that fire doors do not have excessive gaps between the door leaf and the frame as it can allow fire and smoke to pass through easily, breaching the compartment.
All fire doors should only have a gap of 3-4mm along both sides and the top edge.
For more information about how much you can trim off your fire doors and how to accurately measure any necessary gaps read our blog here.
Seals
When checking your fire door, ensure there are intumescent seals around the frame or door itself. These work by expanding under extreme heat and filling the gap between the door and the frame, preventing further spread of fire and smoke.
Intumescent strips should be intact with no sign of damage or wear and tear.
Hinges
Internal fire door hinges are a crucial part of fire door safety, as they hold the door in place and prevent it from being forced open by the force of the fire.
Check that all the hinges and screws remain in good condition and show no signs of damage.
For more information about the correct installation of fire door hinges head over to our advice centre.
Closing Properly
Fire doors are designed to contain fire and smoke for long enough to limit damage to the building whilst also allowing occupants to exit safely. However, fire doors only work properly when closed.
The door closer must be capable of closing the door from any angle of opening to be effective and should be strong enough to overcome the resistance of any latch or sealing system.
Check your fire doors to make sure that they close fully from any angle and that there are no obstacles causing resistance.
For more information about Fire Door Safety Week you can check out their website here.
If you need help selecting the right fire door hardware for your fire doors then please contact our team who will be happy to help you, or visit our advice centre for further fire safety information.
