Where are Fire Doors Needed and Why?
Fire doors are required in almost all commercial buildings, as well as accommodation premises such as flat blocks, sheltered accommodation and houses of multiple occupancy.
When working correctly; fire doors are specifically designed to withstand fire for a minimum of 30 minutes, preventing fires from spreading and giving those inside time to escape, whilst also allowing the fire service time to arrive. It is vital therefore that fire doors remain in full working order.
The Importance of Fire Door Checks
Any alteration to the door or its surroundings (however slight) can affect performance. As such, a fire door should be regularly checked to ensure proper functionality and to provide peace of mind that it will perform to the required standard in the event of a fire.
Once installed, fire doors should be inspected at least once every 6 months to adhere to the BWF-CERTFIRE Best Practice Guide.
For fire doors in regular or constant use with high volumes of traffic, more regular checks are recommended due to the increased risk of damage. This will mean quarterly, monthly, weekly or daily checks, dependant on the volume of traffic passing through.
To help with your regular checks, you can download our FREE ten-point checklist, which gives an overview of what to consider when inspecting your company’s fire doors.
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Reoccupation
Recent restrictions have meant many business premises have had no or limited occupancy, and as a result, vital inspections may not have taken place. With reoccupation increasing in premises up and down the country, the ‘responsible person’ must ensure that fire resisting doors and escape doors are correctly installed and sufficiently maintained for them to be fit for purpose. This is a legal requirement set out in article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Churches Fire & Security offer customers extensive fire door inspections, consisting of detailed checks of each individual fire door component. This provides peace of mind that a premises’ fire doors will operate as required should a fire break out.
If you are unsure whether your fire doors are in full working order or if it’s been 6 months or more since they were last inspected by a fully trained fire safety professional, contact Churches Fire & Security today to arrange a fire door inspection for your premises.
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