Fire Door Surveys

A Fire Door Survey is a crucial step in ensuring the safety and compliance of buildings across the UK.

Fire doors play an essential role in passive fire protection, preventing the spread of fire and smoke and giving occupants valuable time to evacuate.

Conducting regular surveys not only ensures compliance with UK regulations but also reduces risks to life and property. If you’re responsible for building safety, understanding the importance of a fire door survey is vital.

Legal Compliance

Fire door surveys are required by law to comply with the UK’s strict fire safety regulations. Two key pieces of legislation underline this obligation :

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) : This law places a legal duty on building owners, landlords, and employers to ensure that fire doors are properly installed, inspected, and maintained.

• Fire Safety Act 2021 : This act emphasizes the responsibilities of building owners or “responsible persons” for fire safety in multi-occupancy buildings, including the maintenance and inspection of fire doors.

Failure to comply with these regulations can result in significant legal and financial consequences, including fines and prosecution. A fire door survey ensures that fire doors meet the required standards and demonstrates a proactive approach to fire safety compliance.

Protecting Lives

The primary purpose of fire doors is to save lives. In the event of a fire, these doors act as barriers, containing fire and smoke to specific areas of a building. This containment slows the spread of fire, giving occupants critical extra minutes to evacuate safely.

However, a fire door will only perform effectively if it is installed correctly and maintained in good condition.

Surveys help identify issues such as:

• Damaged door leaves or frames.

• Worn or missing intumescent seals.

• Faulty or missing hinges, closers, or locks.

• Gaps that are too wide around the edges.

By addressing these issues promptly, fire door surveys help ensure the doors function as intended, significantly reducing the risk of injury or loss of life.

Reducing Property Damage

Beyond protecting lives, fire doors are designed to limit property damage during a fire. By containing the fire to one area, they help minimize destruction and prevent fire from spreading to other parts of the building. This containment can save thousands of pounds in repair and reconstruction costs.

A thorough fire door survey evaluates the effectiveness of each fire door in providing this protection, ensuring that any faults are corrected before they can compromise the building’s safety.

Risk Management

Fire door surveys are a proactive approach to risk management. They allow building owners and managers to identify and rectify potential issues before an emergency occurs. This proactive maintenance approach is far more cost-effective than dealing with the aftermath of non-compliance, such as fines, legal action, or reputational damage.

Regular surveys also help create a clear maintenance record, demonstrating compliance with fire safety regulations. This documentation can be essential during fire safety inspections or in the event of an incident.

Meeting Insurance Requirements

Insurance companies often require evidence of fire safety compliance, including the maintenance and inspection of fire doors. A fire door survey provides this evidence, ensuring your building meets the insurer’s conditions. Non-compliance can lead to rejected claims, higher premiums, or even policy cancellation.

Adapting to Changes in Building Use

If a building’s purpose or layout changes, the fire safety strategy may need to be updated, including the role and positioning of fire doors. A fire door survey ensures that fire doors are suitable for their intended use and comply with any new regulations.

Ensuring Compliance with Standards

A fire door survey checks that your fire doors meet British Standards, such as BS 8214 (Code of Practice for Fire Door Assemblies).

The survey evaluates all components, including:

• Intumescent strips and cold smoke seals.

• Hinges, latches, and closers.

• Gaps around the door.

• Fire-rated glazing.

Compliance with these standards ensures that fire doors are fit for purpose and can perform as required during a fire.

Conclusion

A fire door survey is not just a legal requirement; it is a critical aspect of protecting lives, reducing property damage, and managing risks. Regular surveys help ensure that fire doors are compliant, functional, and ready to perform when needed. Whether you’re a building owner, property manager, or landlord, conducting fire door surveys is a proactive and essential step in maintaining safety and compliance.

For expert fire door surveys in the UK, ensure you work with qualified professionals who understand the latest regulations and standards. Protect your building, its occupants, and your peace of mind by scheduling a fire door survey today.

Fire Door Repairs & Upgrades

Fire Doors consist of many components working together. Some of these components can be repaired or upgraded by our approved team to save replacing the complete installation.

Some non Fire Rated Doors can be upgraded to FD30S status, allowing for heritage buildings to keep their original doors.

Fire & Building Safety Services

Contact

To commission Fire Door Surveys, or a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) please call 020 4534 3130.

Follow the link for the latest RICS guidance note ‘Cladding for Surveyors, 1 Edition, March 2021‘.