Shutting The Door On Smoke and Fire
26th Sep 2018
There were 326 fire related fatalities in Great Britain recorded between 2016 and 2017. The most shocking of these tragic incidents being The Grenfell Tower fire that happened in June 2017, sadly causing 72 deaths. The occurrence of such devastating events shows us the need for fire safety measures within our properties. We are supporting the National Fire Door Safety Campaign by encouraging building managers, landlords, tenants and all other building users to follow as many safety procedures as possible. This helps to keep the property, its contents, and more importantly, occupants safe from harm.
How Fire Doors Keep You Safe
There are number of fire protections systems such as sprinklers and fire alarms, however fire doors are one of the most critical elements of fire protection. They are used to reduce the spread of fire and smoke between different compartments of a building, for a period of time, allowing people to be safely evacuated. For these reasons, the correct specification, installation, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death. The most common cause of fire related fatalities is due to the inhalation of gas or smoke, meaning that statistics are not helped by fire safety breaches, particularly surrounding fire doors. This includes fire doors being wedged open, missing or damaged, or even non-fire doors being installed in their place.
The Quick Fire Door Safety Checklist
Whether you occupy or manage a building, it is important to check the condition and operation of the fire doors, repairing or reporting those in unsatisfactory condition. Here are a few things to look out for when inspecting the fire doors in your building:
- CERTIFICATION – A label or plug on the side or top of the door will show it is a certified fire door that should be checked regularly by a certified third-party company.
- GAPS – When the door is closed, the gaps around the top/sides should consistently be less than 4mm. The gap under the door can be slightly larger (up to 8mm) depending on the door. You should not see light coming through any of the gaps.
- SEALS – All seals surrounding the door should be intact with no signs of damage.
- HINGES – There should be three or more suitable hinges with no missing or broken screws.
- CLOSING PROPERLY – Check that the door closes firmly onto the latch without sticking on the floor or frame.
- FRAMES – The door including the frame should be fully in tact without any damage.
- SIGNAGE – The door should be marked correctly with appropriate signage.
If you would like more information on Fire Door Safety, please visit: www.firedoorsafety.co.uk and help spread the word by using the hashtag #FireDoorSafetyWeek.