In 2019, research conducted by the Fire Door Inspection Scheme revealed that an alarming 76% of inspected doors were found to be unfit for use
At Fireco, many of our products are either installed on fire doors or are closely related to them. It was concerning to discover that we might be fitting our products onto non-compliant doors. Without specialised fire door training, we could do little more than suggest customers arrange an inspection with another provider.
With many customers already asking us whether we offered fire door services, we decided it was time to take action and start getting our team certified so that we could offer a range of fire door services!
After launching the services in 2021, we’ve since introduced fire door inspections, measure up and supply, and supply and install. We’ve teamed up with a variety of certified door manufacturers to provide compliant doorsets, and our team has completed extensive training, earning certifications from BM TRADA and FDIS.
With that in mind, we sat down with Martin Pearce, our Fire Door Consultant, to find out more about his journey into the world of fire doors and how he can help people keep theirs safe and compliant!
“Hi Martin! I thought we could start with you telling us a bit about your career background and how this has evolved into working with fire doors.”
Martin: “My first job after leaving college was as a trainee manager with a timber importer. Since then I have held several different jobs, both employed and self-employed. Although it wasn’t intentional, all of those jobs have ended up involving work with, within, or alongside the timber industry.”
“So you already had some knowledge that could be applied to working with fire doors! Tell us more about your journey into that fire door world.”
“I joined Fireco as a Field Service Engineer, surveying, installing and servicing products used on fire doors and training others. When I was offered the opportunity to train in fire door installation and inspection, it was a natural step to take as I was already working with them.”
First and foremost, what are fire doors and why are they important?
“For most, and perhaps all of its life, a fire door will have the same purpose as a ‘normal’ door. It allows passage through the walls in a building. However, if there is a fire, then, unlike a normal door, the fire door has to perform its primary and critical function of containing the fire, potentially suppressing the fire and protecting escape routes.
People should think of a fire door as an ‘engineered life safety product’. It’s a crucial component of a building’s fire safety system, safeguarding not only people but also the contents and the structure itself.”
What legislation covers fire doors?
“There are two important pieces of legislation affecting fire doors. The Building Regulations 2010 covers new builds, extensions, material alterations to a building and the material change of use of a building.
“Once the building is occupied, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 legally requires the management of fire risk and the maintenance of the building’s fire safety systems.
“In addition, the Fire Safety Act 2021 has become law and has clarified and emphasised certain requirements of the Fire Safety Order – and is likely to lead to further changes or tightening.”
How often should fire doors be inspected?
And that piece of string is how long? There is no specific frequency required by legislation, but best practice recommends that fire doors are inspected at least every 6 months.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the Responsible Person to ensure that a suitable system of inspection and maintenance is in place so that fire doors are able to perform their primary function and continue to do so throughout their working life. A risk-based approach may therefore require fire doors to be inspected more frequently than every six months, particularly in cases where the doors are heavily used or subject to damage.
Who should be checking fire doors?
“For a fire door to function correctly in a fire, it’s essential that the door is inspected and maintained correctly. The Responsible Person (e.g. the owner of the building, employer, headteacher, landlord etc) may not have great knowledge about fire doors. They can appoint competent persons to assist them. But, the legal responsibility remains with them. The Responsible Person, therefore, needs to be certain that whoever inspects the fire doors has the necessary knowledge and expertise.
“Third-party certification schemes provide an excellent way to gain peace of mind. They ensure that the person performing the work has been trained, assessed, and is regularly audited. So the Responsible Person can be confident that the work has been conducted professionally and competently, and they can therefore demonstrate that they have taken steps to comply with their legal obligations.”
What does a fire door inspection include?
“When we talk about fire doors, we actually mean fire doorsets. The door frame, the door leaf and all the fittings on the door work together and have to be compatible so that, along with the wall itself, it can perform its primary function in a fire. If a door is not properly installed or maintained, the fire resistance performance of the doorset can be significantly compromised.
“A comprehensive inspection will consider all aspects that affect the fire performance of the doorset – the installation, the door frame, the supporting wall, the hardware and fittings. This will determine whether the door will perform as intended or whether wear, damage or poor workmanship has compromised performance and whether maintenance or replacement is needed.”
What happens if fire doors aren’t maintained?
“If fire doorsets aren’t inspected regularly then how can the Responsible Person be confident that they’ll work as intended: to protect lives and property?
“A regular, non-fire door, if properly fitted and closed within its frame, may resist fire for a few minutes. However, a fire doorset left open due to a failed closing device will provide no protection against the fire. If the fire door seals, hinges, latch, closer or the frame or door leaf itself are damaged, it may significantly reduce the length of time it can resist the fire. And, quite simply, that puts lives at risk.
“In light of devastating fires such as the one in The Bronx back in January 2022, what do you think about the role of self-closing devices and the responsibility of the residents when it comes to fire doors being closed?
“There is a view that, if there was a fire, then a person would ensure the door was closed even if the closer had been disabled, removed or was not working, or the door jammed on the floor or the latch. But that’s not realistic. How people think they will act can be very different to how they actually act in a fire. People will panic. We become disorientated, perhaps also blinded and choked by the smoke and fumes. Panic and disorientation prevent us from thinking clearly or acting logically.
“On a separate but related note, I saw a video of a fire test on two fire doors – identical except one door had been installed correctly and the other had deliberate installation errors. A missing seal, the wrong glass, no fire stopping behind the architrave and so on. The ‘correct’ door performed as intended, resisting fire and smoke for 30 minutes. The door with errors (which would have been picked up with proper inspection and maintenance) had flames coming through it in less than five minutes, and at around 7 minutes the door was almost invisible in the thick cloud of smoke.
“The lasting impression I took from that video was that if that amount of smoke was contained in the corridor of a block of flats, it’s doubtful anyone would be able to see anything at all and would be walking blind, possibly towards the fire, in an effort to escape. That is scary. This is why it’s so important to have compliant fire doors, including working self-closers.”
“Thanks Martin! To conclude, could you tell us the most interesting fact you learnt during your training?”
“Probably the number of different elements there are that all contribute towards the fine line of a fire doorset working or not. The critical importance of correct installation, inspection and maintenance of fire doorsets. If the self-closer has been disabled or removed; if the door is wedged open; if the intumescent or smoke seal is damaged or missing; if the door jams on the carpet; if hinges are worn; if the latch jams on the frame and prevents the door from closing…the list goes on and on. Any of these issues can hinder the door’s ability to resist fire and protect lives.”
To book your fire door services with Fireco, call them on 01272 320650 or book an appointment via our website.
