Most Common Fire Door Fails
Fire doors are a hugely important aspect of a building’s fire safety measures. A correctly functioning Fire Door will help to prevent the spread of fire and smoke throughout a building. By compartmentalising flame and smoke, a Fire Door is crucial in saving lives and preventing the destruction of buildings. Unfortunately, Worksmart Fire Door Inspection see faulty fire doors every single day. A fire door can fail on various aspects, here are the most common ways a fire door can fail:
Faulty Intumescent or Smoke Seals on Fire Doors
According to research carried out by the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS), the most common way in which fire doors were found to be failing was with faulty intumescent/smoke seals. During the research, more than 60% of the doors inspected failed on this point alone!
Without smoke seals that have been correctly installed by a certified fire door specialist, fire doors have no chance of holding back fire and smoke. Seals that are compromised leave the occupants of the building at risk and those responsible open to prosecution.
Gaps Around Fire Doors
Just as the seals around fire doors are vital in holding back fire and smoke, it is crucial that the gaps around the fire door be compliant. The industry standard dictates that gaps should be 3mm, with a tolerance of only ±1mm.
Underneath the door, the gap is permitted to be slightly larger, up to 8mm (in the case of doors without smoke seals). However, you should not be able to see any light shining through underneath the door. If the gaps are wider than the agreed industry standards, deadly fire and smoke will be able to seep through, compromise the door and spread into the next room.
The Five Step Check is a great way to make sure the gaps around your fire doors are compliant. Simply take a £1 coin and go around the gaps in the door. The coin is 3mm in width, so you should be able to gauge whether or not the gaps are too wide.
Faulty Hinges on Fire Doors
A fire door is only as good as its hinges. If the hinges are faulty, loose or have missing or broken screws, the fire door will be deemed as faulty. Failing to maintain compliance across every aspect of a fire door can result in prosecution of the ‘responsible persons’ in charge of the building.
Fires burn at intense heats and place a lot of strain and pressure on a door, if the hinges are not up to the correct standards, the door will fail. A fire door fail will place a building and its occupants in great jeopardy in the event of a fire.
What Happens if my Fire Doors are not Compliant?
If your fire doors are not fit for purpose, you risk prosecution and expose people to danger or loss of life. It is imperative that you have your fire doors inspected every six months by a certified Fire Door technician who holds third party accreditation in order to validate their credentials.