Fire Door Safety Week – 23-29 September 2019

RES have pledged it’s support for Fire Door Safety Week – 23-29 September 2019. This year the important annual campaign  aims to raise the awareness of the critical role fire doors play in protecting us when we’re asleep. We hope to bring our customers infographics, videos, guides and guidance to help make the campaign a success.

For more information visit https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk

Our logo can be seen here https://www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/supporters/

You can also follow the campaign via Twitter https://twitter.com/FDSafetyWeek

Check out this “5 MOST COMMON FIRE DOOR FAULTS” infographic

Why use internal fire doors

Internal fire doors are used to maintain the compartmentation of a building that is on fire, thereby reducing the risk of a fire spreading. They also give access to escape routes, whilst limiting the passage of smoke throughout the building. Many insurance policies for businesses and commercial buildings require the installation of internal fire doors as a requirement to protect the building and its contents. Another use for fire doors is that they give firefighters more protection when they are attempting to put out a fire.

The majority of internal building doors are made from timber, which will give a most basic level of protection against the spread of a fire. However, only doors that confirm to Fire Door Standards BS476 and BS8214 will give the best level of protection. Internal fire doors are made from metal and are rigorously tested to ensure they meet guidelines and provide the best protection possible against the spread of fire. Such testing is carried out by a door being subjected to hot gas and fire, and a note of the time taken for the door’s integrity to be compromised. Internal fire doors should also have fire-resistant glazing, hinges and self-closing abilities.

Why use internal fire doors?

Fire doors should be inspected once every six months to ensure that they still have the ability to provide the desired level of protection against fire and smoke. Around 3 million internal fire doors are installed in the UK every year, and they are often a first line of defence in a fire to prevent the chance of it spreading throughout a building. It is vitally important that fire doors are well-maintained and are installed to the correct specifications to ensure that they can always protect the occupants of a building. Unfortunately, maintenance of internal fire doors is often not considered until it is too late. It is also common for occupants within a commercial building to have a lack of knowledge regarding their proper use, leading to instances such as fire doors being left open, or damage being left unrepaired.
Fire doors must be used near stairs or corridors where smoke could potentially pass through and spread.

We cover the South of England including the counties of Berkshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent including London, Aldershot, Basingstoke, Beaconsfield, Bracknell, Egham, Farnham, Guildford, Henley on Thames, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Marlow, Newbury, Oxford, Reading, Slough, St Albans, Staines, Swindon, Watford, Windsor, Woking, Wokingham.

Internal fire door specifications

All internal fire doors need to adhere to the following regulations:
⁃ They must be heavier than normal internal doors.
⁃ Door closers must be fitted so that they close automatically.
⁃ Seals must be fitted around the edges of the doors so that they can expand to block gaps (and prevent smoke from spreading).
⁃ Fire-resistant glazing must be fitted into windows on the doors.
⁃ Handles and other fittings on the doors must be fire-resistant to ensure they can be opened safely in an emergency.

An internal fire door FD30 should resist fire for 30 minutes. A FD60 fire door should resist fire for 60 minutes. The amount of time it takes for a fire door to actually resist a fire depends on the circumstances, including where the fire is in relation to the door, the burn rate, and what is being burned at the time.

Internal fire doors from RES

If you require internal fire door installation, maintenance or repairs, RES can carry out a comprehensive service to meet your requirements. We cover the South of England including the counties of Berkshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent including London, Aldershot, Basingstoke, Beaconsfield, Bracknell, Egham, Farnham, Guildford, Henley on Thames, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Marlow, Newbury, Oxford, Reading, Slough, St Albans, Staines, Swindon, Watford, Windsor, Woking, Wokingham.

How to check that internal fire doors are safe?

All internal fire doors must be certified. Check for a label on the top or side of one of the doors to ensure this. You should also check that the gaps around the sides and top of the doors are less than 4mm when closed. You should just be able to fit a £1 coin in the gap (as a way to determine whether the gap is too big).

All seals around the fire doors should be in good condition, with no damage. If they are damaged, they will need repair, as the performance of the doors could be compromised as a result. A final check is to ensure that the doors close properly. You can do this by opening the doors halfway and then letting them go, to see if they close by themselves. If they stick onto the frame and do not close effectively by themselves, they will need further examination and repair.

If you require internal fire door installation, maintenance or repairs, RES can carry out a comprehensive service to meet your requirements. We cover the South of England including the counties of Berkshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent including London, Aldershot, Basingstoke, Beaconsfield, Bracknell, Egham, Farnham, Guildford, Henley on Thames, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Marlow, Newbury, Oxford, Reading, Slough, St Albans, Staines, Swindon, Watford, Windsor, Woking, Wokingham.