When carrying out inspections within your workplace one of your priorities should be to check the integrity of the fire door. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Fire doors should be inspected and maintained at least annually, however these inspections may be required every six months or even every three months in a busy building.
It is recommended that you a competent person such as a registered FDIS inspector to check your fire doors. These are people that have have had their competence and knowledge independently assessed. Fire doors play a vital role in fire safety and are a legal requirement in all non-domestic properties. Buildings are compartmentalised to delay the spread of fire from one area to another. These compartments are usually linked by fire doors to allow the flow of traffic around the building. Fire doors will form a barrier to stop the spread of fire, and also provide means of escape.
What should be checked when carrying out a fire door Inspection:
A pound coin can be used to check, as this is approx 3mm in width.
The gap between the door and floor should be less than 10mm when the door is closed.
A competent person will ensure that they inspect your doors and report back any concerns. It is important that if you have a fire door that looks damaged, then it probably is damaged and will not do the required job that fire doors are designed to do. A fire door could be the difference between life and death and should maintained accordingly.
Agility Risk & Compliance can assist you in ensuring that your Fire Doors are meeting the regulatory requirements.
Sources: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 & The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals Regulation 1996
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