HARDWARE & SECURITY
Spare a Minute for Maintenance
With new fire safety regulations around the corner and a renewed focus on responsible persons and coordination , Karen Trigg of Allegion UK discusses the significance of fire door hardware and why regular inspections and maintenance periods must remain high on the agenda .
» FIRE DOORS AND THEIR HARDWARE are often the first line of defence in the event of a fire . Working in tandem , they coexist as a core element of a building ’ s passive fire protection system , providing valuable protection and time for occupants to escape by compartmentalising the spread of smoke and fire in an emergency .
In the UK alone , approximately 3 million fire doors are purchased and installed each year . Such is their significance to fire safety , each component requires detailed engineering , third-party testing and critically , periods of ongoing inspection and maintenance . While each stage of a fire door ’ s lifecycle is strictly regulated , fire door checks and maintenance falls under the remit of a building ’ s designated responsible person and is widely understood to be an area that has fallen under neglect .
As such , in January 2023 , The Fire Safety ( England ) Regulations 2022 , under Regulation 10 , made it a legal requirement for all responsible persons of multi-occupied residential buildings to conduct regular fire door checks within their premises . And while it ’ s said that overall inspection levels are rising , with 68 % of responsible persons now conducting fire door checks ( or having them inspected by professionals ) every month or every quarter , there ’ s still work to be done says Karen Trigg of Allegion UK :
“ In the 12-month period ending March 2023 , fire and rescue services attended 178,737 fire incidents in England , a 17 % increase compared with the previous 12 months . And when you consider the portion of fire door sets that remain overlooked , the numbers don ’ t make for good reading . Fire doors and their hardware play an invaluable role in the safety of our built environment , but there are considerable differences between a fire door that ’ s operating as intended and one that hasn ’ t been correctly specified , installed and maintained .
“ When it comes to maintenance specifically , Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 , states that responsible persons must ensure 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 ’. Even durable fire door hardware can become worn and tired in a high-footfall environment and may need repairing or replacing over time . A damaged or ineffective self-closing device for example , can limit the closing action of a fire door and prevent it from fully closing into the frame - rendering it useless in the event of a fire .
“ Although we ’ ve seen real development towards fire safety education in recent years , we must continue to drive forward the number of responsible persons conducting organised fire door checks and maintenance periods as part of their risk assessment duties . The introduction of updated guidance on 1st October 2023 aims to do this further , by improving the cooperation and coordination between responsible persons and rising the requirements associated with recording and sharing fire safety information during fire risk assessments . The update will also make it easier for enforcement authorities to act against non-compliance .”
A stitch in time saves lives As fire safety processes tighten , building owners and facility managers shouldn ’ t feel discouraged in their actions . In fact , responsible persons are reminded that there ’ s no need to overcomplicate fire door inspections . A simple visual assessment , conducted and recorded by a competent individual , could make the difference between compliance and a fire safety disaster . Karen Trigg continues :
“ For responsible persons conducting checks , the first step of fire door safety is recognising each component of a fire door and the potential faults to look for when evaluating its condition . The British Woodworking Federation Group - in support of Fire Door Safety Week - shares regular and reliable advice on fire door safety ; including a practical five step checklist that has been designed to support responsible persons during fire door assessments . The checklist works as a visual guide and covers the five key areas of a fire door - informing users on what to look out for , including :
Sources : https :// www . avonfire . gov . uk / safety-advice / fire-safety / fire-door-safety #:~: text = About % 203 % 20million % 20new % 20fire , every % 20year % 20in % 20the % 20UK https :// www . gov . uk / government / publications / fire-safety-england-regulations-2022 | https :// www . gov . uk / government / publications / fire-safety-england-regulations-2022 / factsheet-fire-doors-regulation-10 | https :// firedoors . bwf . org . uk / publication / have-we-lived-up-to-the-standards-on-fire-door-safety / | https :// www . gov . uk / government / news / newfire-safety-guidance-comes-into-force-on-1-october-2023 | https :// www . firedoorsafetyweek . co . uk | https :// www . firedoorsafetyweek . co . uk / toolkit / five-step-fire-door-check /
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NOVEMBER 2023
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