Fire Door Safety Week: 5 Step Fire Door Check

Fire Door Safety Week is giving these tips for a 5 Step Fire Door Check that anyone can do:

• Check for certification: Is there a label or plug on top (or occasionally on the side) of the door to show it is a certificated fire door? If there is, that’s good news, otherwise report it to whoever is in charge of your building.
  
   
• Check the gaps: The gaps around the top and sides of the door should be consistently less than 4mm when closed. A £1 coin is about 3mm thick so use that to give a feel for the scale. The gap under the door can be slightly larger (up to 8mm is not uncommon), but it does depend on the door. As a rule of thumb, if you can see light under the door, the gap is likely to be too big. If the gaps are too big smoke and fire could travel through the cracks. It’s good news if the door fits the frame and it’s not damaged. If not, report it.
  
   
• Check the seals: Are there any intumescent seals around the door or frame, and are they intact with no sign of damage? These seals are vital to the fire door's performance, expanding if in contact with heat to ensure fire (and in some cases smoke) can’t move through the cracks. If not, report it - the door may not be properly maintained and in the intensity of a fire may not protect you for long enough.
  
   
• Check the hinges: Are the hinges firmly fixed (three or more of them), with no missing or broken screws? If you see problems, report it - the door is obviously not properly maintained and in the intensity of a fire it may not perform and hold back the fire for long enough.
  
   
• Check the door closes properly: Open the door about halfway, let go and allow it to close by itself. Does it close firmly onto the latch without sticking on the floor or the frame? If not, report it. A fire door only works when it’s closed. A fire door is completely useless if it’s wedged open or can’t close fully.

Download the 5 Step Fire Door Check here

The correct specification, supply, fitting and maintenance are critical and the responsibility of each and every person in the process. It’s only when a fire breaks out that the consequences of poorly manufactured or fitted fire doors are known.

This Best Practice Guide has been prepared by BWF-Certifire Fire Door Scheme. It is the complete reference source for everything that you and your customer need to know about third party certificated timber fire doors and doorsets.

Get it right = Protect Lives and Property                                   

Get it wrong = Risk to Life and Property

The guide is for anyone in the fire door supply chain, from raw material or component supplier, right through to the customer. It has been spilt into sections to lead you through your responsibilities and actions at every stage of the process...

The Fire Door Process

• A basic introduction to fire doors
• Design and specification
• Ordering and procurement
• Delivery and storage
• Installation
• Using, maintenance and inspection

The guide is accompanied by easy to use checklists and pictures to support at every stage of the process and help the user recognise areas of risk in the fire door chain.

Further information

Find out more at www.bwfcertifire.org.uk

http://www.bwfcertifire.org.uk/assets/bwf-best-practice-guide-2016.pdf