Critical Measure…
Fire Doors are a critical measure in passive fire protection. Almost all buildings in the UK are required to have at least one.
Since a fire door is a functional item, it has to meet numerous specified regulations in accordance with the relevant laws. It is therefore precisely designed, engineered and tested in accordance with British and European standards.
BS EN 12519 defines a doorset as “supplied complete with all essential parts from a single source and for which the main intended use is the access of pedestrians”. A fire door is just one element of this whole system. The door’s efficacy is therefore interdependent on many components, including the door frame, glass and intumescent seal. In addition, all ironmongery on a door needs to be fire-resistant.
Integrity
The integrity of a fire door is reflected in ratings (FD30, FD60, FD90, FD120), with the numeric indicating the minutes of resistance. Doors with an FD30 rating are typically used for escape routes. Doors with higher ratings are normally recommended for containing a fire.
The Responsible Person in a building is accountable for its fire doors and their continued fit for purpose. It is recommended fire doors are inspected every 6 months. Checks will include:
- Automatically close
- Door gaps
- Door frame
- Seals
- Hinges
Naturally, if a fire door looks damaged or faulty, an urgent inspection should be requested.
