Fire doors provide life and property saving functions in the event of fire. But it is vital that they are inspected and maintained in order to give the same protection as they did when they were first fitted.
Constant use, being held open, and the wear and tear that happens in a busy residential, office or commercial building can impact the long-term effectiveness of fire doors. If they fail to close or protect against a fire this could have disastrous consequences.
Why might a fire door fail?
There are a number of reasons why fire doors may fail:
- Foreign bodies or other objects may be obstructing the door.
- The smoke seals may be incorrectly fitted, damaged or missing.
- If a latch is fitted, is it of the correct type? It may be malfunctioning or require lubrication.
- The closing device may need adjustment to ensure it seats correctly into the door stops and that the door can also be opened without excessive force.
- The door may have been damaged by an impact or have large gaps that exceed 3mm to the sides or head of the door, or exceed 10mm to the undercut of the door.
- Mechanical items such as hinges, locks, latches, closers, floor springs have worn over time.
How to ensure your fire doors are safe
Regular inspection and maintenance in accordance with the fire door supplier’s recommendations is essential. You may have several types of fire door in your property and each will need different attention.
Benfield Fire Safety offer Fire Door Awareness Training that shows fire wardens how to identify the type of fire doors in their property and follow the correct procedures for checking and maintaining them.
If you are a facility or site manager, or have fire wardens who need fire door training delivered by professionals, please contact Benfield Fire Safety by emailing Customerservice@benfieldfs.co.uk or calling 0300 303 3277.
