HARDWARE & 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
50
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
‘fire
doors still
remain a
significant
area of
neglect,
with faulty,
defective
or badly
installed
fire doors
costing
lives’
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
JUL/AUG 2019
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