THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
FIRE DOOR INSPECTION SCHEME
A survey conducted with people with
formal responsibility for fire safety in their
organisations, were asked if they were fully
aware of their legal obligations. Nearly half
of those surveyed said they either did not
know or admitted they were unclear.
This worrying statistic reveals that despite
the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)
Order being introduced in 2005, many
organisations and individuals who are
deemed the Responsible Person under this
legislation, do not follow the necessary
procedures to produce a Fire Strategy for
the building or buildings under their control.
This has led to large fines being imposed,
and in some cases, custodial sentences
given to people falling foul of the law.
Undertaking a Fire Safety Audit in a
building can be a formidable task, when
one considers the amount of potential fire
hazards that might arise when attempting
to put a strategy into place.
Fire alarms, fire extinguishers, clear means
of escape, sound fire compartmentation, are
44 - www.refurbandrestore.co.uk
just a few topics that need to be addressed.
One area that appears to be constantly
overlooked is the condition and working
function of fire resisting doors.
This problem was recognised in 2012 by
the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers,
and the British Woodwork Federation, so
they formed and launched the Fire Door
Inspection Scheme.
This scheme is the first of its type in Europe,
with its initial aim to transform people’s
knowledge about how and why fire doors
work and the potential dangers of getting
things wrong.
The scheme has since progressed, and
now has 40 Certificated Inspectors situated
around the UK, who can carry out on- site
inspections of doors in existing or new
buildings. This is an essential part of any
fire risk assessment.
Certificated Inspectors carry out detailed
inspections of each door and prepare
written reports to assist and advise building
owners and managers as to the condition
of the door. As part of this, they can also
advise on remedial action that might need
to taken.