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Prevention is better than cure : The fire door perspective
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IN A FIRE EMERGENCY , IT IS A RACE against time to prevent flames from spreading beyond control – meaning a working fire door could be the difference between life and death , says Allegion UK Commercial Leader Pete Hancox .
It needs no mention that the tragedy at Grenfell Tower has been a somber , sobering experience . Shock , disbelief and anger have gripped the nation in the weeks and months following the fire . There ’ s no question it will live long as a thorny , incredibly sad memory – especially as data has since shown at least another 211 tower blocks have failed combustibility tests following testing on their exterior cladding .
Following the tragedy , the media and nation have focused on the aforementioned cladding issues , as well as a lack of sprinkler systems in Grenfell Tower and other similar tower block buildings . Other talking points have emerged around the lack of a high ladder – which did not arrive on the scene for 32 minutes for the fire brigade . As a consequence , Mayor of London Sadiq Khan ordered an urgent review of the fire brigade kit after rescue delays .
Of course , improving those factors is a necessicity and , in due course , will raise fire safety standards all around . However , they are arguably response tactics , as opposed to prevention tactics , for a fire spreading out of control .
An area of fire safety that has been given little attention to , but deserves much more credit , is the fire door . What a good fire door system can do is buy precious time . It is a prevention method and inhibits fires from getting out of control too quickly by compartmentalising the fire .
In tall and densely populated buildings especially , trapping the fire between fire doors can stop the ‘ chimney effect .’ This is where stairways and corridors combust quickly through non-fire retardant materials , ripping through the building within a matter of minutes and thus blocking access to the vital escape routes .
Whilst a fire door won ’ t put out a fire , we can clearly see how they would serve an important function . In Grenfell Tower ’ s case , they could arguably have been one of the most important factors , following the revelation about the fire service ’ s initial lack of a high ladder .
WHAT THE RRFSO STATES
The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2006 ( or RRFSO ) is the key regulation for building owners and operators . Under the RRFSO , not only do building owners and operators have to demonstrate that safety precuations are in place , but also they are continually reviewed and monitored .
Of the responsibilities , it includes regular fire assessments , implementing clearly defined evacuation procedures and ensuring adequate signage is in place .
Above all , though , the priority requirement is that all doors are fit for purpose in the instance of fire . That means emergency doors must open in the direction of escape , and they must not be locked or fastened in such a way that they cannot be easily and
Author Pete Hancox
immediately opened by any person who may need to use them in an emergency . Sliding and revolving doors are , therefore , not permitted as emergency exits .
THE FIRE DOOR SYSTEM – PREVENTING THE SPREAD
Ultimately , it is the fire door that stops the fire from spreading . However , a fire door itself cannot work properly without its contributory parts . One intrinsic part is the door closer .
DOOR CLOSERS AND LINKED FIRE ALARMS
As Approved Document B : Volume 2 , which governs fire safety in dwelling houses and flats , states , all fire doors should be fitted with a self-closing device . The exceptions are fire doors to cupboards and to service ducts , which are normally kept locked shut , and fire
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL . CO . UK | SEP / OCT 2017 Sponsored by Aldridge Security