Fire Door Inspections

Why do we need fire doors?

Fire doors are engineered safety devices. When fully closed against the rebate stop, they form part of the compartment wall and play a fundamental role in fire safety.
Their primary purpose is to save lives and protect property. 

Introduction to fire door inspection, below are the basic checks a responsible person must carry out as required. A standard door inspection comprises of 22 checks for a fully accredited report for each door.

1. Recording the inspection
2. The Frame
3. The Door Leaf
4. Gaps
5. Hinges
6. Glazing
7. Self-closing device
8. Lock/Latch

In the UK, roughly 3 million new fire doors are manufactured and installed each year.

However, a significant percentage of these doors are installed incorrectly. A non-compliant installation places lives and property at risk.

Fire doors are manufactured in different ways and have different internal core materials.

Before a fire door is brought to market in the UK, it must be tested in a furnace where the

door is subject to the heat conditions that would be expected in a fire situation.

Watch the video below. The video is a demonstration of a fire door performance test in a furnace. One of the fire doors has been installed incorrectly and with incorrect components, whereas the other door has been installed correctly and with compliant components

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sO-ceZSODU

It is important that you understand early on that a minor mistake in the installation process can have dangerous consequences. If you install a fire door incorrectly, you are putting lives and property at risk as the door may not be able to perform in a fire scenario.

Fire doors are an engineered safety device. When installed correctly they save lives. It is vital that you get the installation correct as it is life-critical.