Fire Door Safety Week: why fire door safety can’t be left to chance

With fire safety under the spotlight, and strengthening of legislation through the Fire Safety Bill and the Building Safety Bill, Fire Door Safety Week will once again help to educate on the importance of fire door safety. Helen Hewitt reflects on why there is still a need for the national Fire Door Safety Week campaign.

Like many safety devices, fire doors remain fairly anonymous. We walk past dozens of them every day: at work, at home and when we’re out and about in shops and restaurants. How many times do you give them a second thought? The truth is, many of us don’t think about fire doors until we need them. In the event of a fire, we will be glad they perform the task they are intended to do.

What is a fire door?

As an effective passive fire protection product, fire doors form part of the structure that divides a building into individual fire compartments. Their role is to prevent fire and dangerous smoke from spreading into additional rooms and floors while allowing crucial time for occupants to evacuate and fire services to tackle the fire. So much more than a standard door, a fire door is a complex system of components – including the door leaf, frame, ironmongery, intumescent seals and glazing systems – which must work and perform together to protect lives. To perform as intended, fire doors must be correctly specified, installed and maintained. But how do those responsible for fire doors know what’s right and what isn’t? How do we educate everyone on what constitutes good fire door practice?

Fire Door Safety Week

These two questions are what led to the launch of Fire Door Safety Week in 2013. Founded and owned by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), in association with the BWF Fire Door Alliance, the Fire Door Safety Week campaign exists to increase public understanding of the crucial role that fire doors play in protecting life and property. The original campaign objectives still remain true:

• To educate the public on the critical role that fire doors play in delaying the spread of fire and smoke.

• To encourage best practice in the use of fire doors, especially when it comes to closing propped-open fire doors and reporting suspected damage – an open fire door or one that is damaged won’t perform as intended in the event of a fire and everyone should take responsibility.

• To educate on, and promote, best practice in the specification and installation of fire doors.

• To halt the legacy of neglect in maintaining and inspecting fire doors. >>

The specification and installation of fire doors

Since its launch, Fire Door Safety Week has emphasised the importance of getting specification and installation right and how everyone plays a part in fire door safety – from the fire door manufacturer to the architect, through procurement to the on-site installer, and to the landlord and the tenant. When it comes to specification, the person responsible for choosing the fire door, whether an architect, a contractor or a facilities manager for example, must specify correctly according to the need of the building and compliance with legislation, and understand what questions to ask of the manufacturer, such as proof of performance.

All fire doors must have the appropriate proof of performance for the ratings they carry. This proof is obtained by subjecting the door to testing to BS 476-221 or to the European equivalent BS EN 1634-1.2 The door is tested as a complete assembly, and can only be assured to replicate the performance if the tested design uses the correct compatible components.

The BWF has long championed the third-party certification of fire doors through its BWF Fire Door Alliance scheme. By selecting a fire door that has been third-party certificated, landlords and residents can have confidence that the fire door will perform as designed in the event of a fire. Third-party certification means that the fire door manufacturer or door processer has been audited by an independent third party to confirm the product is tested appropriately and manufactured to a consistent standard. However, it’s important to be aware that the performance of any fire door is also dependent on the quality of installation, ongoing maintenance and inspection.

Installation of fire doors is as life critical as the product specification itself and should only be carried out by someone who is competent, has been specifically trained to install fire doors and understands their responsibilities in getting it right. Installation of a fire door is very different to hanging a standard interior door and correct installation, following a manufacturer’s guidance, means that the fire door will perform as designed in the event of a fire.

A focus on inspection and maintenance

Too many fire doors fail as a result of poor maintenance and lack of competent inspection. One aspect of fire door failure that was specifically highlighted in Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry was the removal of self-closing devices. >>

However, there are other key factors that need to be inspected regularly such as:

• whether the fire door closes tightly to the frame

• if the door hinges are in good order • if the fire door has its intumescent strips intact

• if any modifications to the door have been made that are not in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Regular inspections for damage will help ensure that a fire door remains fit for purpose; if any issues are found they can be promptly fixed using compatible and correct fire-rated components. While Fire Door Safety Week introduced the Five Step Fire Door Check to empower residents to quickly spot faults with fire doors and report these to the responsible person for immediate action, fire doors must be checked regularly and maintained by competent people.

Fire Door Safety Week 2021

Now in its ninth year, Fire Door Safety Week will take place from 20–27 September 2021. The national awareness campaign still exists because of the fact that fire door safety isn’t where it should be. Join us in making the necessary changes happen and help to promote awareness of the life-saving role that a fire door can play. n

About the author

Helen Hewitt CEO British Woodworking Federation

Source: British Woodworking Federation

Further information

To find out more, visit www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk

Further reading

• WIS 1-13 Performance of fire-resisting timber-based doorsets,

BM TRADA, 2018

• WIS 1-32 Upgrading timber joinery doors for fire resistance,

BM TRADA, 2020

References

1.BS 476-22:1987 Fire tests on building materials and structures. Method for determination of the fire resistance of non-loadbearing elements of construction, BSI

2.BS EN 1634-1:2014+A1:2018 Fire resistance and smoke control tests for door and shutter assemblies, openable windows and elements of building hardware.

Fire resistance test for door and shutter assemblies and openable windows, BSI

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