HARDWARE & SECURITY a building ’ s fire doors will not perform as intended unless essential hardware has been correctly specified , installed and maintained .
As correctly acknowledged by most of the British public , an open fire door is rendered useless in the event of a fire and to form an effective barrier against fire and smoke , fire doors must be capable of closing fully from an open position . When performing a closing action , a fire door will call upon its hinges , locks , latches and door closing devices , and in the event of a fire , not one of these elements can fail . In view of this , fire door hardware is methodically designed and tested to support the integrity of fire doors . To meet necessary standards , a fire doorset must pass one or more of a series of standardised tests , confirming its UKCA and CE certifications and FD ratings . Users can identify a certified fire door by its label , usually found on the top edge of the door .
Shared responsibilities and results
As part of their research in 2022 , the BWF found that almost half of those who neglect to report a problem with fire doors would not take action because they were unsure who to report it to , or cited it was simply not their place or role to report it . Seemingly then , in many cases , improved communication and education towards fire door safety can help mitigate risk and further raise standards across the built environment .
In any circumstance , people must continue being urged to keep buildings safe by reporting damaged or propped open fire doors to designated responsible persons . In higher risk buildings where many rely on the same fire safety systems for example , it ’ s imperative that people know who they can turn to when a fire door safety issue arises , and often , this will be the landlord , owner , manager or occupier of the premises . Equally , responsible persons must also adopt a hands-on approach by ensuring fire doors and their hardware are ‘ subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state , in efficient working order and in good repair ’, as per the Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 .
Where a fire alarm will inform you when something is wrong , fire doors require more proactive methods . As part of their ongoing maintenance duties , responsible persons should perform quarterly checks on fire doors , assessing the certification , gaps , seals , hinges and closing elements . Even durable door hardware can become worn and tired in high-footfall environments and may need repairing or replacing over time . An incorrectly installed or damaged self-closing device for example , can limit the closing action of a fire door and prevent it from fully closing into the frame . Upon inspection , if a fire door isn ’ t operating as intended , it ’ s imperative to seek out professional advice and ensure maintenance or replacement is carried out quickly and professionally . Whilst many of us use them day to day without thought , the true purpose of fire doors must remain clear at all times . Collectively , we must continue to
change the perceptions associated with passive fire protection methods and fire door safety , and only when we improve collaboration and communication will we truly limit the devastation of fire . Simply put , there is a chain of responsible parties , and everyone must recognise what their role is - we all must do better .
How Allegion UK can help
Allegion UK has a wealth of resources designed to help responsible persons , duty holders and professionals undertake product selection , installation and maintenance checks on fire doors and hardware . For accessible fire door hardware support , Allegion ’ s new ‘ Fire Door Hardware Fundamentals ’ guide is available for download and combines expert guidance with helpful terminology and useful fire door safety checklists .
www . allegion . com
https :// www . gov . uk / government / statistics / fire-prevention-and-protection-england-year-ending-march-2024 / fire-prevention-and-protection-statistics-england-april-2023-to-march-2024 , https :// www . gov . uk / guidance / ukca-marking-conformity-assessment-and-documentation , https :// www . gov . uk / guidance / ce-marking , https :// www . firesafe . org . uk / fire-doors /
OCTOBER 2024
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