Fire Doors Can Save Lives

• News
• 15 May 2023

Fire doors save lives. There’s no getting away from that.

They are a life-saving piece of equipment which act as a barrier to both flames and smoke.

Fitted internally, between rooms, on stairwells or as front doors on flats or apartments they are there to help stop a blaze from spreading so people can escape safely.

The bottom line is that a certified fire door, fitted correctly and checked regularly can stop people from becoming seriously injured and save their lives.

Think about this - if tragedy strikes and you are in a building where a blaze has started – that fire door could potentially be the only thing stopping the unthinkable from happening.

But to do their job properly they have to be closed and checked regularly.

In fact, off the back of the Grenfell Tower tragedy the regulations changed making it a legal requirement for those responsible for all multi-occupied residential buildings in England with storeys over 11 metres in height to:

• Undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors (including self-closing devices) in the common parts.
• Undertake – on a best endeavour basis – annual checks of all flat entrance doors (including self-closing devices) that lead onto a building’s common parts.

It’s one thing to ensure that you have certified fire doors supplied and fitted correctly but can you also be sure that the right checks are being carried out regularly to ensure everything’s how it should be?

First and foremost, checks should be carried out to make sure there are no obvious signs of damage or any other issues but what else is involved.  Check:

• That there’s been no alterations or damage to a door’s glazing apertures or air transfer grille
• That the door closer shuts the door
• Does the door close correctly around the whole frame?
• If there is any visible damage (either deliberate or from wear and tear) to the door or door closer

Any issues need to be rectified – to ensure your fire doors are there to do exactly what they were brought in to do and that’s to protect people.

You can read more about the guidance here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-england-regulations-2022/fact-sheet-fire-doors-regulation-10