Clearview National July 2019 - Issue 212 | Page 57

FIRESAFETY&SECURITY
A guide to fire door compliance
With fire doors being a crucial part of passive
fire protection, David Saxby, Senior Category
Manager at IronmongeryDirect, provides guidance
on how to choose fire door hardware to ensure
they comply with the required regulations…
» » FIRE DOORS ARE VITAL IN ANY
commercial, public or multi-occupancy
building to protect life by preventing fire
and smoke from spreading, whilst also
minimising damage to the building itself.
Despite their importance however,
fire doors still remain a significant area
of neglect, with faulty, defective or
badly installed fire doors costing lives.
IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest supplier
of ironmongery, has created a checklist
which advises on the correct specification
and maintenance of fire doors, with the aim
of achieving the highest levels of safety in the
event of a fire.
DOOR CLOSERS
As specified by Approved Document B
of the Building Regulations, a door closer
must be fitted to a fire door to prevent the
spread of flames and smoke by ensuring it
is held closed. One of the most trusted and
economical options for an overhead closer
is the Arrone AR3500 Door Closer. With
an adjustable power size 2-4, it’s suitable for
living accommodation, offices and corridors.
With a 120-minute fire rating, closing and
latch speed adjustments, backcheck and
a 10-year guarantee, this product offers
durability and flexibility.
Another top choice is the Dorma TS92
Cam Action Door Closer which consists of a
track arm that fits neatly against the frame of
the door. The cam action mechanism makes
the door easier to open, ideal for fire doors
in public buildings, and is compliant with
BS8300 standard, offering equal access for
the disabled, elderly or those less able.
Electromagnetic door closers, such as the
GEZE TS4000E Electromagnetic Door
Closer, are a particularly good choice,
providing a modern and state of the art
alternative. They are wired directly into a fire
detection system, allowing doors to be held
open for everyday use but which will then
close upon activation of a fire alarm.
HOLD OPEN DEVICES
In certain situations, it may be inconvenient
or impractical for fire doors to always be
closed. For example, it can present hazards in a
building where there is busy traffic circulation
such as a school or hospital. Installing a hold-
open device such as the Dorgard Smartsound
is the only legal way of keeping a fire door
open: on hearing a continuous fire alarm, it
will release, allowing the fire door to close
under the pressure of the overhead door closer.
This new smartsound technology uses audio
filtering to listen for an actual alarm, reducing
false activations by background noise
When assessing a fire door, it is imperative
to check that the hold open device releases
when required, the batteries are working, and
if the device has been tested in accordance
with BS EN1155 for electromechanical
devices.
HINGES, LOCKS AND LATCHES
Because fire doors are much heavier than
normal doors, they should be fitted with a
minimum of three hinges, although this can
be more for taller doors. The hinges should
always bear the CE stamp and must be the
correct grade for the type of door.
When checking existing fire doors, it is
important to make sure the hinges are free
of metal fragments and oil leakage which
could indicate signs of wear. If the door
squeaks when it closes, then the hinges must
be replaced. It’s also important to check that
protective intumescent pads (which expand
when heated) have been fitted in the correct
material.
As with hinges, locks and latches on fire
doors must also be CE stamped to indicate
conformity with protection standards
sold within the European Economic Area.
Locks should also be fitted with the correct
intumescent and latches must hold the door in
place firmly without rattling.
SEALS AND VISION PANELS
If a fire door is made from timber, it must
be fitted with intumescent material. The seals
around the doors, which act as smoke barriers,
must also be checked regularly to ensure they
are free from damage or breakage and tested to
BS 276 part 22.
Furthermore, when doors on escape routes
sub-divide corridors, they must be fitted with
vision panels.
To view the Fire Door Checklist, visit:
ironmongerydirect.co.uk/fire-door-checklist
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