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Doorsets, Fire Doors, Safety & Security
Locks, Latches and Cylinders
“ Where door closers are responsible for returning the door to its closed position, locks and latches make sure it remains securely closed. This is critical in a fire situation, where certified fire doors can keep fire and smoke at bay for 30 or 60 minutes- when rated FD30 or FD60 respectively. Both locks and latches should always be fire tested as part of the complete door assembly. In fact, removing latches or replacing them with products that have not been tested can invalidate certification and compromise fire door integrity.
“ When it comes to routine maintenance, it’ s important to check for sticking mechanisms, misaligned strike plates and metal dust deposits, which are typically located on the latch bolt or strike plate, and could represent high levels of wear or damage. The latch must engage fully into the strike plate and hold the door firmly in place every time it closes. Where a lock incorporates a cylinder, that too must be compatible with the tested lockcase and operate smoothly without excessive resistance. A cylinder should be considered part of the fire door assembly, with incompatible hardware potentially affecting both fire performance and security, and as such, replacements should always be supported by suitable test evidence.”
Hold-open and exit devices
“ Hold-open and exit devices are specialised hardware components that provide safe, single-action egress on fire doors. An electromagnetic hold-open device can legally hold open fire doors, allowing for a greater flow of movement in high traffic areas, whilst being primed to automatically release the door when its connected fire alarm system is activated. These devices should be tested to BS EN 1155. It’ s also important to recognise that using wedges or other improvised methods to hold open a fire door is unlawful and dangerous. Should an electromagnetic hold-open device not release the door when a fire alarm is activated, a problem may have occurred, such as the door straining against its self-closing device upon operation.
“ Panic and emergency exit devices are designed to provide safe and rapid escape with minimum effort. As such, devices must be securely fitted and functioning correctly at all times to ensure reliable operation at any given moment. Poor maintenance and unsuitable hardware replacements are common issues and can affect the mechanical operation of a system, and therefore the door. Emergency exit devices and panic exit devices must comply with BS EN 179 and BS EN 1125 respectively, together with appropriate UKCA and CE marking. This way, fire doors can efficiently maintain the balance of rapid evacuation when open and dependable protection against fire and smoke when closed.”
Intumescent and smoke seals“ Intumescent seals are concealed around the frame or door leaf and whilst going largely unnoticed during the operation of a door, they spring into immediate, critical action during a fire. When exposed to the high temperatures of fire, intumescent seals will expand significantly, and in doing so, they close the gap between the door leaf and frame, creating an effective barrier against smoke and fire.
“ Smoke seals provide additional protection by restricting the passage of smoke before temperatures become high enough for intumescent seals to activate. The inhaling of smoke is one of greatest risks to life in the event of a fire and so, over time, seals should be regularly inspected for damage. Excessive gaps between the side of the door and the frame could remove any compartmentalisation efforts. With this in mind, a maximum gap of 3mm is recommended around all fire doors, whilst ensuring both intumescent and smoke seals remain intact and undamaged. Simply put, seals are an essential element of fire door safety.”
Fire Door Signage
“ Fire door signage is often the final piece of the compliance puzzle.‘ Fire Door Keep Shut’,‘ Automatic Fire Door Keep Clear’ and‘ Fire Exit Keep Clear’ signs are mandatory on all fire doors in the UK as per the Regulatory Reform( Fire Safety) Order 2005. They provide clear instructions to a building’ s occupants and visitors and as a result, must remain present, legible, undamaged and appropriate for the door’ s function.”
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Door Industry Journal Autumn 2026
107