Fire Risk Assessment: Importance Of Fire Door Inspections And Surveys

Fire safety is one of the core responsibilities of health and safety managers, facilities managers, employees, or anyone managing a residential property on behalf of someone else or a local authority. Regular fire door inspections and surveys, in particular, help to create a safer environment and maintain compliance with UK fire safety regulations. Read on to find out more:

How Fire Doors Assist Risk Management

Fire doors are a crucial part of any building’s fire safety strategy, containing fire and smoke, protecting escape routes, and minimising the risk of damage to a residential or commercial property, as well as saving lives. Properly functioning fire doors are vital in saving lives, particularly aiding individuals with mobility challenges by allowing suitable time for everyone to make a safe evacuation of the building. However, a non-functioning or damaged fire door, or one that has been tampered with, can pose an active risk to fire safety. For example, a fire door that is manually propped open for convenience or ventilation in hot weather will not prevent the spread of fire or smoke around the building.

Fire Door Surveys And Defect Management

There are two types of surveys which can be used to assess the effectiveness of your fire safety measures. Fire stopping surveys check all your fire barriers, seals, and structural components designed to arrest the spread of fire, while fire door surveys inspect the fire doors in your building for damage, function, and compliance. Any identified defects, such as misaligned doors or damaged intumescent strips, must be addressed promptly.

Who Should Carry Out A Fire Door Inspection And Survey?

Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which entered law in January 2023, any residential building over 11 m tall needs quarterly checks carried out on all communal fire doors by a ‘Responsible Person’. However, it's important to note that while these specific regulations focus on residential buildings, fire safety is equally important in commercial buildings. In offices and other workplaces, the "Responsible Person" has similar duties under the broader framework of the Fire Safety Order to ensure fire doors are correctly maintained. Residents should also be provided with the relevant fire safety instructions and information about the importance of fire doors, such as keeping fire doors closed when not in use, reporting any faults or damage, and avoiding tampering with any self-closing devices. This implements the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Enquiry Phase 1 Report, with the intention of improving fire safety in buildings incorporating two or more domestic properties. This emphasis on resident awareness can be adapted for office environments by providing clear guidelines to employees.

Responsibilities Of The Responsible Person

The Responsible Person, who might be the building owner or manager, must ensure that all fire doors, including flat entrance doorways (in residential buildings) and internal office doors (in commercial buildings), are maintained and kept in good working order. Regular inspections and risk assessments are a key part of ensuring the continued effectiveness and compliance of the building’s fire doors.

Fire Door Checks And Inspections: What You Need To Do

The Regulations set out specific instructions for inspections and checks.

• Flat entrance doorways: Annual checks to verify access on both sides of the door, with the process arranged with the resident and fully documented.
• Communal fire doors: Quarterly checks covering all doorways in corridors, lobbies, and stairwells, assessing each door for gaps around the frame, the function of hinges, smoke seals, self-closing devices, and checking for damage. Visual inspections are adequate for compliance purposes, without the need for any specialist tools. The checks should also verify that fire evacuation routes are unobstructed and clearly marked.

Find Out More

Failing to invest in regular inspections may lead to minor issues escalating into more significant problems, making the cost of repairs or replacement higher, and compromising fire safety in your building. If you would like to find out more about fire safety and the role of fire door surveys and inspections, please book a fire risk assessment with Fire Safe International today by clicking here or get in touch with our team.

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