Communal Fire Door Safety

Posted on August 16, 2021 in General Info

Fire doors. Learn about communal fire door safety and the standards you need to make sure a property you own or manage meets.

What are fire doors and why do they matter?

Fire doors are a really important element of your fire safety strategy. Used correctly, they stop fires from spreading through a building, giving people time to escape and the fire brigade time to attend and potentially save your premises.

Getting the right fire doors in place is an important responsibility, though you will also need to consider fire detection and sprinklers.

Why do you need to provide fire doors?

• They are specifically designed to withstand fire for up to 30 minutes.
• They are a legal requirement for flats which open onto communal areas shared with other tenants. This is to make sure crucial escape routes are protected if a fire breaks out.
• They are designed to automatically close behind you in the event of fire, holding flames back and stopping the spread of the fire and toxic smoke into escape routes, corridors and other flats in the block.

Did you know?

Property owners are required by law (The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005) to make sure premises reach required standards of fire safety.

Fire door or normal door – what’s the difference?

If a fire door is properly made by a BWF certified manufacturer, with compatible parts, and certified by an accredited third party, it should hold back a fire for 30 minutes or more.

However, the components – hinges, seals, handles and glazing – are as important as the door itself. This is because, in a fire, doors can warp, move and allow smoke and fire through the opening. The seals and the gaps between the door frame and the wall are really vital too. They also stop smoke and fire spreading as quickly.

If a fire door isn’t properly installed, or you don’t use all the right seals and components like letterboxes that are fire-safe too, it can fail in under 5 minutes.

Tips for fire door installation and use

There are some simple must-knows when it comes to fire doors and their safe use and installation:

Do…

1. Get accredited professionals to install your fire doors.
2. Check your door’s certification – look for British Standard (BS) Parts 22 and 31 or BS EN 1154.
3. Make sure there are combines smoke and fire seals around the door.
4. Check the handles close properly.
5. Make sure that seals and other components like letter boxes are fire-safe too.
6. Make sure you have appropriate door closure mechanisms – the wrong ‘closers’ can physically damage frames and hinges through slamming, as well as causing injury to the people who use the doors.

Don’t…

1. Prop them open or let your people prop them open – doors can save lives if they are shut.
2. Install fire doors yourself – the components and seals are as important as the door itself.
3. Let tenants replace fire doors if your building is a block of flats.
4. Remove the self closing device fitted to the door.
5. Leave damaged doors in use – always have them repaired or replaced ASAP.

Who is responsible for communal fire door safety?

If you are responsible for a property, it’s likely that you need to make some fire safety precautions to keep the people who use it safe. This includes almost all buildings, places and structures other than individual private homes – that’s individual flats in a block or family homes. Property manager’s responsibilities include shared areas in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), blocks of flats and maisonettes.

What about old doors – are they OK?

There is a difference between modern fire doors and their requirements and older type doors, often called ‘Notional fire doors’. These doors may have been in place for many years and met earlier standards of manufacture and legislation. However, this doesn’t mean that they are now not fit for purpose, providing they are still in good condition they will still provide the service for which they were intended.

Modern doors are equipped with what’s called intumescent strips and cold smoke seals. Older ‘notional’ doors may not have these fitted, and are often fitted into frames with a 1 inch or 25 mm door stop. The ‘notional’ door may be suitable in place if it is not warped or gapped to the extent that it requires replacement, its replacement will be a modern style fire door. Where doors are replaced that are required to be fire resisting they should not be replaced by ordinary doors and the person replacing the door should ensure that the door is a fire door.

Can I have a window in a fire door?

Absolutely, yes. Some fire doors are fitted with glazing – what’s termed a ‘vision panel’, these are subject to the test procedure when constructed and you are not allowed to retrofit glazing by cutting the door unless this is done by a door specialist, the BWF-CERTIFIRE scheme will be able to provide further information if this is a requirement.

Hygienic door handles

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, you might be considering installing hygenic door handles. As long as these handles do not compromise a fire doors integrity or restrict the use of an escape route, they should be fine to use. If you are unsure, check with the accredited professional who you have asked to install your fire doors for more information.

Hinges and letter boxes

Fire doors will have at least 3 hinges with a melting point above 800 degrees centigrade and apertures for glazing and for letter boxes should be in place at testing. Also Arson Reduction letterboxes are available as a retrofit to the existing aperture.

For information on our fire door maintenance services visit Communal Fire Door Safety or call one of our friendly team on 0845 604 1288.