We help our clients understand that fire and smoke-resisting doors in firewalls, compartments and sub-compartments play a critical role in controlling and restricting fire, heat and smoke from uninhibited sources. They are also critical in achieving the required degree of containment and thereby ensuring the fire evacuation strategy of a building can be achieved with minimised life safety risk and disruption.

After undertaking hundreds of compliance audits and inspections, we know fire doors are the most frequently used and often an abused element in a fire compartment, and how they are inspected can be manifold and complex, influenced by a number of factors, including the age, usage and criticality of the doors, combined with the size, function and fire & evacuation strategy of the building in which they are installed. These protection measures must be understood and correctly inspected and maintained if buildings are to perform as expected, should a fire break out. By their very nature, they are ‘passive’ until there is a fire, and only then will their fire performance in situ be demonstrated.

A comprehensive visual inspection of each fire-resisting doorset, including:

• The fire-resisting qualities of the fire door hinges and all door hardware
• The condition, fitting, and operation of the hinges and hardware
• A review of fire door signage
• A check of the condition and operation of any hold-open devices
• A check of the fire door closing devices and their ability to close the doorsets effectively
• A check for relevant markings, for example, CE markings, the British Woodworking Federation, to identify the fire rating of the doorset
• An inspection of the locks and latches to ensure they are operational
• An inspection of any vision panels, glazing and a review of their suitability
• An inspection of the cold smoke seals
• An inspection of the intumescent strips
• An assessment of the fire-resisting qualities of the doorset, including its thickness
• A review of the gaps between the leaf and frame – including the threshold for suitability
• A visual inspection of the fire door frame
• A visual inspection of the door leaf
• A review of the materials used in the installation of the doorset
• A clear action plan outlines the locations of defects, photographic evidence, and suggested remedial actions. 

Steven Hudson 

Director

For information concerning our fire door survey and inspection services, please get in touch.

Fire Stopping Survey & Inspection 

Fire Risk Assessment