40 • FIRESAFETY & SECURITY
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Once a door , always a door ?
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FIRE DOOR EXPERTS LTD . IS A fully accredited specialist in the survey , maintenance , supply and installation of fire doors in both residential and commercial settings . Working across London and the M25 corridor , FDE has quickly established a reputation for excellence in this highly specialised field . Here , Commercial Manager Paul Dredge explains some of the issues commonly found on door surveys …
In commercial buildings , the regular , planned inspection and maintenance of fire doors is , arguably , even more important than the original supply and installation . Sadly , most people seem to feel that once a door , always a door and no more need be done . But , like most things , doors , their components and fabric do suffer from varying degrees of wear and tear , such that a regular routine of planned inspection and maintenance is essential . Each building should have a designated ‘ Responsible Person ’ ( as defined under the Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 ) and it is their duty to ensure ( amongst other things ) that
the fire doors within the building are fully compliant and working correctly .
These pictures ( all taken at one survey in August 2018 ) illustrate some common issues that don ’ t appear obvious but each , on their own , is enough to compromise the documented fire-resistance of the door in question . Firstly , hinges that are not ‘ fire rated ’. The CE Mark is the best guide . But it is safe to assume that these hinges won ’ t have fire intumescent pads behind them either ( where doors are 60 minute rated and above ). Secondly , the maximum allowable gap around a door ( or between the two ‘ door leaves ’) is 3mm . In some cases , you don ’ t need to measure to see that some work is needed . Most door gaps can be repaired by the addition of ‘ lippings ’ and easing and adjusting the door .
The third example is damage to the fabric of the door and the frame . In this case , internal ‘ selfclosers ’ had been replaced with externally mounted , overhead closers . But leaving a hole where the old closer had been removed , compromises the door , the frame and the smoke & intumescent strip around the frame . In some cases , the holes can be so large that repair is not possible and the door has to be replaced .
These are just three examples of issues related to the proper maintenance of fire doors . There are many more and these aren ’ t always picked up on a Fire Risk Assessment . That is why engaging the services of a specialist company ( such as Fire Door Experts ) who can not only survey , report , maintain , supply and install fire doors but also provide nationally recognised accreditation for each step of the process , as well as a fully audited ‘ end to end ’ history of each door in a building , is increasingly the option chosen by building managers and ‘ Responsible Persons ’. Whether it be managers of residential blocks , NHS Trusts , schools , large international corporations or Government buildings , leaving it to the experts is the right thing to do after all .
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL . CO . UK | SEP / OCT 2018