Fire Doors

Fire doors fall into categories based on how long they can withstand fire:

·  FD30 – These offer 30 minutes of fire protection and are normally 44mm thick.

·  FD60 – These offer 60 minutes of fire protection and are normally 54mm thick. 

·  FD90 – These offer 90 minutes of fire protection and are normally 64mm thick.

·  FD120 – These offer 12o minutes of fire protection and are normally 64mm thick. 

FD30 and FD60 are the most used fire doors. These offer 30/60 minutes of fire protection enough time for occupants to exit a burning building. Fire Doors main functions are to form a barrier when closed and to allow escape when opened. 

The 5 main things to check the Fire Door is fitted and working correctly are:

1.  Certification – fire doors should be third party certified by an independent body. This will cover the overall doorset including ironmongery, door hardware and door furniture.

2.  Seals – intumescent seals are designed to expand when a certain heat level is reached and fill any gap between the door and frame. Some seals have a brush strip which is to help prevent the movement of smoke.

3.  Gaps – The gap between the door and frame should be consistently 2-4mm and no more than 3mm between door and floor. 

4.  Closers – Fire Doors should always be closed unless fitted with an automatic closer. The door should take no longer than 25 seconds to close.

5.  Hinges – All hinges should have intumescent pads fitted and be fixed firmly in place with no missing screws. 

The above 5 checks are also the main reasons why a fire door will fail a survey. 

Fire Doors should be checked every 6 months, in high traffic areas this could be as much as weekly or monthly.