You may have read our recently published whitepaper, entitled Fire Doors: Law vs Reality. If you haven’t read it, we think it’s well worth while. In the paper, our certified fire door inspector Mark McQuade has expertly laid out the reality of the situation, in comparison to the standards set by the law.

We were delighted to receive a response from Ash Denham MSP, Minister for Community Safety. Ash read our paper and thanked us for bringing some of these issues to her attention.

After discussions with our local MSP Willie Coffey and his team in Kilmarnock, we all agreed that more needs to be done to ensure fire door compliance standards are maintained.

It’s thanks to the excellent work of Willie Coffey MSP and his team that we were able to reach out to Ash Denham MSP and bring these issues to her attention.

It’s very encouraging to receive this response from the Minister. It shows that people in positions of authority are beginning to take note of the work we do. It also shows a growing awareness of the problems we face in our day-to-day work, and an appetite to improve fire safety in Scotland.

In her response to Worksmart Fire Door Inspection, she stated: “Thank you for your email highlighting fire safety concerns. As Minister for Community Safety, the responsibility for fire safety in existing buildings is part of my policy portfolio”.

Role of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

She continued by discussing the role the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service play and their responsibilities.

She also spoke of the recent approach to fire safety in Scotland: “Fire prevention and protection activity over recent years has been key to reducing the number of fires, casualties and losses in Scotland, thus minimising loss of life and the economic and social impact of fire on communities. This focus on prevention, working collaboratively with other partners, must continue in order to deliver improved local and national outcomes for the communities of Scotland.”

She finished by saying that she and her officials continue to work with the SFRS on these matters.

“While operational issues are a matter for the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service Board and Chief Officer, I and my officials continue to meet regularly and work closely with SFRS on fire safety and other emerging matters.”

We will continue to work hard and bring attention to the importance of fire doors, passive fire protection and everything relating to fire safety.

If you would to get in touch to find out more, please contact Mark McQuade at [email protected] or call 01563 53 55 11

In the meantime, feel free to browse our website.

You can find us on Twitter and LinkedIn with the following hashtags: ProtectingLivesPreventingLoss #Worksmartworksafe #Firedoormaster #MakeItWorksmart

Fire Doors – What is a Fire Door?

The most basic question we’ve been asked is simply – ‘what is a fire door?’. To some people, this may seem like an easy question. However, fire doors are complex product systems, made up of many different parts. Everyone encounters fire doors almost everyday, but seeing isn’t knowing. That’s why, even though it may seem simplistic, we want to answer the question of ‘what is a fire door’?

Fire doors are an essential line of defence in the event of a fire. A fire door can prove the difference between life and death for anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in that situation. Fire doors are specially constructed so that they are especially resistant to flames and heat and the gaps are sealed in such a way as to prevent flames – and often smoke – from penetrating for a prescribed period of time.

Fire Doors – Passive Fire Protection

As passive fire safety elements, fire doors defend against fire passively, unlike a sprinkler system. Passive Fire Protection makes use of something called compartmentation within a building. This compartmentation slows and restricts the spread of smoke and fire. By slowing the spread from room to room, it gives the people inside the building time to escape, and gives the firefighters time to bring the fire under control.

Passive Fire Protection saves lives and saves buildings from greater destruction than is necessary. Fire Doors are a crucial part of this fire safety strategy. If any single part of your passive fire protection fails then the whole strategy could follow suit. This could potentially result in loss of life and irreparable property damage.

Who uses fire doors?

By law, all non-domestic premises are required to have a responsible person. The ‘responsible person’ could be the landlord, leaseholder, employer, building owner or facilities manager – anyone with an element of control over a premises. These people are not required to be experts in fire safety, but it does expect them to use competent professionals to ensure fire safety equipment is maintained and fit for purpose.

Do I need to get my fire doors checked?

Yes, absolutely!

Fire doors are engineered products and need correct installation and regular maintenance. Any failing, no matter how small, could mean that your fire doors will not perform to the required standard, should they ever need to in the event of a fire. Failure to maintain them attracts the same penalties as any other fire safety equipment, such as alarms or sprinklers. These penalties can be hefty, with a school recently being fined over £200,000.

Hopefully we’ve managed to answer the question of ‘what is a fire door’ in this blog. 

If you would to get in touch about a Fire Door Inspection or to find out more, please contact Mark McQuade at [email protected] or call 01563 53 55 11

In the meantime, feel free to browse our website.

You can find us on Twitter and LinkedIn with the following hashtags: ProtectingLivesPreventingLoss #Worksmartworksafe #Firedoormaster #MakeItWorksmart

Fire Door Maintenance on Listed Buildings

Situated in one of Ayrshire’s most enchanting beauty spots lies the historic Glenapp Castle. Dating back to the late 1800s, the castle was designed by the celebrated Edinburgh architect David Bryce. The property was built as a home for the future Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire, James Hunter.

Built in the Scottish Baronial style, the castle combines elements of both the Gothic and Renaissance periods. The result is a castle of enduring beauty and grandeur. Fast forward to modern times, and after several owners and eventually falling into an unfortunate state of disrepair, Glenapp underwent years of laborious renovation and care to restore it to its luxurious best. Having been transformed into a hotel after its refurbishment, it has won a string of awards and been recognised as one of the finest luxury castle hotels in the UK.

The current owners have continued the improvements to the fabric of the building as well as the hotel. Glenapp Castle Hotel is now one of the finest examples of its kind to be found anywhere. Winner of “Independent Hotel of the Year” at the CIS Excellence Awards in 2019, it also holds the AA’s supreme accolade for hotels, regardless of size or type of operation – five red stars.

Glenapp Castle is also a member of two exclusive groups: The Relais & Château Group and the Pride of Britain Hotels. Needless to say, membership of these groups is dependent on the highest levels of service, exceptional cuisine, and unique, luxurious settings. Glenapp Castle offers these in abundance.

Heritage Scotland and Fire Protection

The most recent development involves upgrading a substantial part of the castle’s guest accommodation. The owners are at the forefront of ensuring the safety of both the guests and the castle itself. To do this, the fire protection had to be upgraded to modern standards.

Worksmart were approached by Glenapp Castle due to our specialist fire door and passive fire protection credentials and experience. Protected as a listed building, Glenapp Castle’s owners needed to ensure that all works had to be conducted with the utmost sympathy for the existing, historic fabric.

Worksmart were the ideal people to fulfil this brief. As accredited and experienced fire door and passive fire protection specialists; with a team of highly skilled, time-served tradespeople; while being sympathetic to the conservation aims and historic nature of the project.

Maintaining 19th Century Architecture on Listed Buildings

The ongoing project involves both the installation of new fire doors that are in keeping with the style and architecture of the late 19th century and the sympathetic upgrading and conservation of historically valuable doors to provide the required level of fire resistance. This in itself is a big challenge, and exactly the reason why Worksmart were appointed as contractor for the job.

The entirety of the castle’s fifth floor is also being upgraded to guest accommodation. It first had to be ‘compartmentalised’ to provide 60 minutes fire resistance. This included removal of the original floorboards, stripping out of obsolete services and deadening material and installation of new services before the painstaking construction of a bespoke fire barrier in the void to the latest passive fire standards. The original flooring, which had been carefully stored, was then replaced.

Fire Door Inspection Services for Historical Buildings

We are working closely with the owners of Glenapp Castle, their interior designers, conservation surveyors, architects and services consultants to ensure the refurbishment is carried out to the standards expected of one of the country’s leading luxury hotels and we look forward to sharing updates on this beautiful project in our following blogs!

Glenapp Castle’s owners are determined to apply the same level of attention to the conservation of this jewel of a castle as they do to their hospitality, whilst sympathetically refurbishing and upgrading to keep it alive and offer their guests an unrivalled experience in one of Scotland’s finest listed buildings. Collaborating with specialist conservation surveyors and Historic Scotland, we, at Worksmart, are delighted that our skills and expertise will play a part in delivering this prestigious and sensitive project

If you would to get in touch to find out more, please contact Mark McQuade at [email protected] or call 01563 53 55 11

In the meantime, feel free to browse our website.

You can find us on Twitter and LinkedIn with the following hashtags: ProtectingLivesPreventingLoss #Worksmartworksafe #Firedoormaster #MakeItWorksmart

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.

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Fire Door Myths

We’re living in a world of ignorance and misinformation. In the case of Fire Doors and Fire Safety, myth and misinformation can lead to legal repercussions or even death. The problem is, there are so many regulations and standards it isn’t easy for non-fire safety professionals to keep abreast of them. Here, we try to dispel some of the most common fire door myths and help you avoid the pitfalls of faulty or non-compliant Fire Doors.

Fire Door Myth 1: Fire Proof Paint Makes a Door a Fire Door

This is a classic and unfortunately one that is still widely believed. No, paint alone will never be able to make a door fire proof. Simply painting a door does not comply with the necessary laws and regulations surrounding Fire Doors. For example, paint will not close gaps around the door or prevent non-compliant hinges from failing.

Fire Door Myth 2: I Can Fit a Fire Door Myself

Fire Doors should be fitted by an experienced and certified Fire Door technician. This is to ensure not only that the job is done correctly, but that the Fire Door is fully compliant and up to current standards. Only when you have employed the services of a qualified technician can you be truly secure in the knowledge that you won’t face any legal consequences and that you are compliant with the law.

Fire Door Myth 3: As a landlord, Fire Doors are my tenants’ responsibility

As the landlord, you are considered to be the ‘responsible person’. This means it is you who is responsible for taking reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and making sure people can safely escape if there is a fire under the fire safety legislation of 2005.

Fire Door Myth 4: By fitting larger doorstops, standard doors will become Fire Doors

Another of the great fire door myths: No matter how many doorstops you employ for this plan, your standard door will not become a Fire Door! If the door does not have a test certificate and has not been fitted according to the manufacturer’s instructions (which are designed to replicate the fire test), then it is not a fire door. There is no compromise on this standard.

Fire Door Myth 5: None of this has anything to do with me – I am not responsible for any Fire Doors

All non-domestic premises are required to adhere to the Fire (Scotland) Act or Regulatory Reform Order of 2005. If you don’t adhere to this, you risk prosecution and in the worst-case scenario, your negligence is putting people’s lives at risk.

Can you honestly say you didn’t previously believe any of these fire door myths? If you’d like to learn more about Fire Doors and what your responsibilities may be, get in touch and we can discuss your circumstances and advise you. 

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What Is Passive Fire Protection?

Basically, Passive Fire Protection is fire protection that is completely passive. It does not require any stimulus in order to do its job. A 60-minute fire screen constructed using the appropriate plasterboards and insulation will resist a fire merely by virtue of its construction and materials. It is essential to create and maintain fire compartmentation in buildings (which is intended to contain fire within the source zone and prevent spread).

COMPARTMENTATION

Good compartmentation within a building will help to limit the spread of a fire from one room to the next. By compartmentalising a fire, we can mitigate the damage caused to a building and make it easier for fire fighting professionals to extinguish the blaze.

Effective Compartmentation:

• Restricts spread of fire, heat, and smoke by containing it in a single compartment
• Protects escape routes and providing crucial escape time for occupants
• Prevents further structural damage to a building

FIRE STOPPING – this means making sure that any breaches in a compartment wall/floor/ceiling are filled and sealed with appropriate materials in an appropriate manner to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. These breaches may be caused by cables, pipes, ventilation ducts, etc. We offer 4 types of fire stopping, as follows:

• Penetration Seals – where cables, pipes, etc. pass through compartment walls/floors
• Linear Joint Seals – where fire rated panels meet, between door frames & surrounding wall, etc.
• Cavity Barriers – under raised access floors or above ceiling grids.
• Air Transfer Grilles – between compartments (these will have intumescent blocks in them that expand and close the grille).

All of the services provided by Worksmart Fire Door Inspection – fire doors and fire stopping – are passive fire protection elements. Of course, some of the components of a fire doors are activated by heat (intumescent products) and expand to close gaps and prevent the door from moving under the extreme pressures caused by a fire – but they are classified as passive because, when closed, they form an integral part of the compartment barrier.

What is Active Fire Protection?

ACTIVE fire protection systems, on the other hand either require power/data stimulus in order to work. These would include simple smoke/fire alarms like you would put in your own house, complex zonal fire alarm systems in commercial buildings, sprinkler systems (which can be linked to fire alarm systems or be activated by heat), automatic dampers in ventilation systems that shut the ventilation shafts to prevent passage of smoke, etc.

Worksmart Fire Door Inspection Services

INDEPENDENT FIRE DOOR INSPECTION – completely independent survey/assessment of fire doors to provide a detailed report of the condition, compliance and functionality. Accredited under the FDIS scheme.

FIRE DOOR MAINTENANCE – maintenance of existing fire doors using UKAS approved repair techniques to ensure fire doors remain functional, despite the abuse they are subjected to. Accredited under the BM Trada Q Mark Fire Door Maintenance Scheme.

FIRE DOOR INSTALLATION – installation of new fire doors. Accredited under the BM Trada Q Mark Fire Door Installation Scheme.

Introducing Steven MacDonald, the latest member of the Worksmart Team to qualify as an FDIS Certified Fire Door Inspector!

Steven is a valued and long-term member of the Worksmart family and brings a lifetime of relevant experience to the role. He is an accomplished tradesman and site supervisor and is looking forward to using his knowledge and expertise to help improve fire safety standards wherever he can. His knowledge and insight will be invaluable in helping clients recognise problems and understand how they can rectify them.

We are delighted to have him on board to extend our reach and spread the fire safety message wider!

If you think you would benefit from Steven’s expertise or have any questions or concerns regarding your fire doors, call us on 01563 53 55 11 or send an enquiry via our website at https://worksmartfiredoorinspection.co.uk/contact-us/