Did you know that nearly one third of those responsible for Fire Door safety say they do not fully understand their responsibilities when it comes to Fire Doors, under the Building Safety Act? With new regulations, changing policies and an urgency to get these laws right it is not surprising that there is some initial confusion. However, it is vital to get these details right and to ensure that the Fire Doors you are responsible for are in line with the most recent regulations released by the Government, Fire Door performance is essential to protecting the lives of building occupants.
There can be no room for mistakes.
There are many areas in which the new regulation outline the safety guidelines for Fire Doors. But initially we wanted to highlight the importance of third-party certification.
By using third-party certified doors this provides robust proof of performance and traceability of the door’s components. It’s proof of performance is crucial evidence that it is fit for purpose and complies with fire door regulations, designed to save lives. The process a third-party certified door goes through is strict and leaves no room for error. The doors are subject to rigorous testing by a UKAS certified organisation. The door, and door set, is then given regular scrutinous testing to be certain that the results are not just a one off.
Third party certified doors are easily identifiable as they are marked with plugs or labels, to ensure their origin and status are traceable. (as shown below)
But is it just enough to have bought a third-party certified door set? The answer is no. Although having a fully compliant door set will certainly help in ensuring that the risk of fire spreading is reduced, it is in fact still a possibility if the door and frame have not been installed and maintained correctly.
Using a fully third-party accredited Fire Door company ensures that the doors are fitted correctly and will hold to their design specifications in the event of a fire. Any minor deviation from this could result in the doors being effective for less than the intended time needed for a safe evacuation of buildings. Third party accredited companies, like R2R, are always up to date with the latest legislation, we are trained and audited regularly to ensure our knowledge and skills are always in line with regulations. We know the correct and safe way to ensure your third-party accredited doors are installed and maintained. We also provide you will full reports and details of maintenance and installation, so you can rest assured that you have a Golden Thread of information and can be confident your Fire Doors will be effective in the event of a fire.
Just like any other passive fire protection system, such as smoke alarms, it is essential for a Fire Door to perform as intended in the event of a fire. Any slight alteration to the door or its surroundings can affect the performance and render it ineffective. Fire doors should be regularly checked to ensure it functions correctly and will perform to its designed standard in the event of a fire. Checks should be carried out at least once every six months (although newly occupied buildings may require more frequent checks in the first year of use.)
We cannot stress the importance of using only accredited companies and products when it comes to fire safety. Lives are at risk.
R2R are fully accredited with BM Trada to install and maintain fire doors. As well as which we can also carryout and provide you with a full and detailed Fire Door survey which will highlight to you any areas with each door which are not compliant with regulations, so you know what needs to be done to ensure the safety of your residents and the property itself.
Contact us today so we can help to ensure that your building safety follows all the latest laws.