Fire Door Safety Week is here. And this year’s campaign theme from the British Woodworking Federation Group is ‘Recognise it, Report it’. The campaign aims to shine a light on problems with faulty fire doors so people know what to look for and can then report potentially dangerous doors. The campaign also aims to highlight the importance of fire doors and how they must fully function to work as they should to save lives.
Research by the British Woodworking Federation Group in 2022 discovered a shocking 30% of those asked believed that a fire door propped open with a wedge or fire extinguisher was perfectly fine and safe. With so much apparent misunderstanding around fire doors, the British Woodworking Federation has worked over the last ten years to educate people about how fire doors function and increase awareness of their importance.
Fire Door Regulations
Since January 2023, it’s been a legal requirement for those responsible for all multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 meters in England to check all fire doors quarterly and flat entrance doors leading to common parts annually.
The Fire Safety Order also states that any residential building containing two or more domestic properties should have general fire precautions in place, including any fire doors being capable of providing adequate protection.
Fire Door Safety Week Safety Checks
Fire Door Safety Week lists the following five steps to check that fire doors are safe:
Certification
Check that a fire door and all its ironmongery have the correct certification.
Apertures
Any alterations to a fire door, including the retrofitting of ventilation grilles or glazing panels, will invalidate the door’s certification.
Gaps & Seals
Seals should be fitted to the sides and top of the door. And no gap around the door frame should exceed 4mm.
Closers
From any position, the door’s closer should shut the door firmly onto the latch.
Operation
The fire door should close correctly around the whole of its frame.
The Fire Door Safety Week campaign urges everyone to report any fire door they suspect is faulty to the person who manages the building. And as the number of fire-related fatalities increased last year, with 334 fire-related fatalities being recorded, it’s the responsibility of everyone to be aware of and report inadequate fire doors.
Independently Fire Testing Door Hardware for over Twenty Years
As proud Fire Door Safety Week supporters and a leading supplier of fire-rated door hardware who’s been independently fire testing for over two decades, we know that fire doors save lives. From fire-rated drop seals and vision frames to fire-rated louvres and frame seals, browse our extensive range of fire-rated door hardware today. Or call 01785 282 910 to talk to one of our knowledgeable team about the fire-rated products you need.