A fire door is an engineered safety device that is a crucial part of the passive fire protection of every commercial, public and multiple occupancy building. A fire door acts just as any other door in normal service, in a fire it takes on a critical role – to save lives and protect property. It does this by holding back the spread of fire and smoke through a building for a designated period, giving time for building occupants to escape.
A fire door is not just the door leaf. It is a complete assembly comprising: the door leaf and frame, any glazing, intumescent fire and smoke seals; along with ironmongery that is used on the door, such as hinges, overhead door closers, latches and locks. Fire doors can easily become damaged when they are in regular use; which may affect their performance in the unfortunate event of a fire. And just like other life safety devices, such as fire extinguishers and alarms, fire doors and final escape doors need regular, stringent inspection, maintenance or replacement to ensure that they will perform as intended in the event of a fire.
In 2006, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 came into force in England and Wales; transferring the responsibility for Fire Safety from the fire authorities to whoever has day-to-day control of building premises – this is known as the ‘Responsible Person’. This person must take steps to reduce the risk from fire; consider how to contain a fire should one break out and ensure people can escape safely. They also need to be able to identify a Competent Person i.e. knowledgeable, qualified professional who can undertake preventative and protective measures, such as Fire Door Inspections, if they’re not confident to do so. Compliance with the RRO is a legal requirement. Failure to comply with RRO is a criminal offence and can lead to prosecution, large fines and even imprisonment.
Lorient also welcomes the new Building Safety Bill, which will drastically overhaul building regulations in England and Wales. Introduced in the House of Commons on 5 July, the bill is the next step in ground-breaking reforms that will create lasting generational change and set out a clear pathway for how high-rise residential buildings should be constructed, maintained and made safe. Considerations such as fire door safety maintenance will come to the fore as part of the new bill.
Operating across the UK, Lorient offers a professional and expert fire door inspection service. Lorient Fire Door Inspectors are fully qualified under the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS); and have been assessed by Warringtonfire, an independent third party. Certificated to carry out the inspection of a building’s fire doors; Lorient Inspectors use an app to record findings throughout the survey. A detailed report is provided covering the condition and functionality of the fire doors on the premises; with necessary remedial action required. The experienced team have worked on projects from schools, hospitals to large commercial buildings.
For further information about Lorient’s Fire Door Inspection Services please contact 01626 834252 or visit lorientuk.com
