RETHINKING FIRE DOOR SAFETY

Sue Corrick of Allegion UK outlines inconsistency in fire door safety and how specifiers are being supported to close knowledge gaps.

Whether it’s boiling the kettle, charging your phone or changing a lightbulb, it’s second nature to be cautious when handling a potentially dangerous object. We learn these habits early and it helps foster a culture where the risk of common appliances, technologies and commodities are routinely recognised. However, one everyday item that often gets overlooked and doesn’t receive the same level of attention is fire doors.

Fire doors and their hardware are purpose built to prevent the spread of smoke and fire in an emergency and are a key element of any building’s passive fire protection system. Despite their crucial role in safeguarding lives, fire doors are all too often neglected, misused and poorly maintained.

At Allegion UK, we believe this inconsistency highlights a deeper issue within fire safety practice, and one that the industry must actively address.

A CALL FOR ACTION

Safety measures are an integral part of our lives. As observant people, we review the condition of our charger wires, blow out candles and matches when we’re finished with them and we closely check product reviews for the appliances we buy, all to reduce the chance of faults and fire and the danger it presents to the buildings we reside in. And, when a product doesn’t perform as it should, we act.

Fire doors are meticulously designed to serve as life-saving barriers and form the cornerstone of fire safety across our built environment, yet, despite being used millions of times every day, they are often among the most commonly neglected and compromised safety systems in buildings. When closed, a certified fire door will typically compartmentalise a space for 30 to 60 minutes, preventing the spread of smoke and fire and providing occupants with a critical opportunity to escape. Conversely, an ineffective fire door system can fail within minutes, and an open one is considered useless in a fire.

During the closing action, a fire door relies on its many hardware components, calling on hinges, locks, latches and door closing devices to secure it firmly in place. In a fire situation we can’t afford for any one of these components to fail and, as such, doorsets are rigorously tested to ensure they meet necessary standards, conforming to UKCA and CE certifications and FD ratings.

WHAT DOES COMPLIANCE LOOK LIKE?

We’re not simply talking about a safety feature – fire doors are a legal requirement in all non-domestic premises and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). However, individuals are less inclined to check whether they meet the right condition or standards once installed. Perhaps it’s a case of visibility; while a broken or exposed wire screams potential danger, a fire door simply blends into its surroundings until it is needed.

Regardless, where building owners and designated responsible persons bear the legal responsibility for fire door compliance, everyone has a role to play in ensuring fire door safety. Day-to-day, a fire door should function like any other door, but its behaviour in a fire situation is what separates it from the rest.

A compliant fire door is tested, certified and labelled as a complete doorset and is designed to work in tandem with its fire-rated hardware components to:

• Close fully and securely from any angle, without sticking or slamming

• Latch into place, with the door remaining closed during a fire emergency

• Maintain integrity under extreme conditions, ensuring intumescent seals expand to close the gap between the door and its frame, restricting smoke and flames from spreading.

Fire door hardware is not interchangeable. In fact, using incompatible components can invalidate a fire door’s performance completely. As such, it is critical to remove any ambiguity surrounding fire door hardware, ensuring all components are specified appropriately, installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines and maintained routinely. With that said, questions remain over accountability and competence, with many unsure of the responsibilities associated with keeping fire door systems operational.

ROUTINE RESPONSIBILITIES CAN SAVE LIVES

In many cases, improved awareness and communication towards fire door safety can help mitigate risk. As people continue to dissect the safety of other everyday items, greater understanding is needed concerning fire door use and compliance. So, what more can be done to ensure fire doors and their hardware receive the same level of attention and care as other everyday belongings?

The first step is about fostering and filling knowledge gaps. Just because a fire door is visually present doesn’t mean it will work, especially if it has been neglected, misused or is fitted with hardware lacking the correct certification – a fire door certified for domestic use may not be suitable in a high-traffic commercial setting, for example. The industry must bridge the gap by providing resources and support tools while reminding people that fire safety is a shared responsibility.

Where the use of uncertified hardware can compromise the effectiveness of a fire door, it’s also important to recognise that a building’s fire doors will not perform as intended unless essential hardware has been correctly specified, installed and maintained. Routine maintenance checks are crucial, and responsible persons are urged to assess the certification, gaps, seals, hinges and closing elements on fire doors on a quarterly basis, ensuring they are maintained in an efficient state and in good working order.

In any circumstance, a building’s occupants should be encouraged to report damage and propped open fire doors. In higher risk buildings, where many rely on shared fire safety systems, it’s vital that people feel comfortable to communicate concerns and, more importantly, know who they can turn to when a fire situation arises. Just as we wouldn’t ignore the smell of gas or visibly exposed electrical wires, you shouldn’t ignore a faulty or improperly used fire door. With this in mind, basic routine fire door safety practices can include:

• Keeping fire doors closed

• Locating fire door signage and recognising emergency escape routes

• Checking hardware and intumescent/ smoke seals are in good working order

• Reporting damage on fire doors and their hardware.

Whether we recognise it or not, fire door safety is embedded into the way we live, work and play and it is wrong to overlook fire doors until we need them in an emergency. Instead, we must strive to create a culture, one that is centred around greater awareness, shared responsibility and competent action. Simply put, it’s time to give fire doors and hardware the same attention as the items that entertain and convenience us.

www.allegion.com