Did you know that a fire door is more than just a door? It’s actually a specially designed safety feature. To make sure any fire doors on your premises meet the necessary safety standards, it’s important to follow these 5 essential fire door safety checks.
5 quick checks to make sure your fire doors are safe
1. Ensure correct installation
The door itself is actually only a small part of a fire door. The surrounding door frame is a huge part of the protection offered, and errors in installation can mean that your door is no longer fire rated. High-quality fire doors come at a cost, so it’s important to make sure they’re installed correctly to make the most out of your investment and keep your premises safe.
2. Check for gaps
Any gaps around fire doors will allow smoke and eventually flames through the door. Gaps between the door and the frame should be 2-4mm. Close the fire door and get up close to the edges where it sits in the frame. If you can see light, it’s no longer a fire door.
3. Inspect the seals
Fire doors have what’s known as intumescent seals attached to the frame and around the edge of the door. When exposed to heat, these seals expand to close any gaps around the door to prevent smoke and fire from spreading. If any of the strips are damaged then they might not be able to fully seal the gaps. Regularly inspect the seals and replace them as soon as you notice any damage.
4. Replace damaged glass
Any glass in a fire door should be fire rated to ensure safety. Fire-resistant glass must undergo rigorous testing to prove that the material is able to withstand certain conditions, in line with a variety of standards and levels of fire rating. These ratings relate to the material’s ability to withstand exposure to a simulated fire in terms of time, temperature and pressure. If the glass in a fire door is damaged, replace it as soon as possible, and make sure that any new glass is fire rated.
5. Make sure the door is closed
An open door is not a fire door. Flames can travel extremely quickly, and an indoor fire can become life threatening in just 2 minutes. Closed doors – and particularly fire doors – provide an extra level of protection and minimise the supply of oxygen feeding the blaze. Door closers should be attached to all fire doors to keep them shut when they’re not in use. Fire doors should only be held open by legally compliant fire rated retainers that will automatically close in the event of a fire.
Did your fire doors fail these checks?
Don’t worry! Failing these checks doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire fire door has to be replaced. A lot of these issues can be solved by readjustment and small repairs or replacements, returning your fire door to its original condition.
A fire door inspection from Synergy Fire can help you to determine the condition of your doors, giving you the peace of mind that they’re safe, or providing expert advice and services to remedy any issues.