Posted on 23 September 2019
We are supporting Fire Door Safety Week to raise awareness of how fire doors save lives and protect homes.
“Fire doors play a crucial role in any building,” explained Jake Le Page, Interim Head of Hyde’s Building Safety Taskforce.
“When a fire happens, it is the compartmentalisation of fire, by the correct specification and installation of well-maintained fire doors, that buys occupants time and creates a safe refuge. They also provide a protected route for the emergency services to come to their aid.”
Fire Door Safety Week was launched in 2013 and this year runs from 23-29 September. The campaign aims to emphasise the importance of choosing the right fire doors and how crucial it is for them to be installed correctly and regularly maintained.
What fire doors do
Fire doors create a barrier from fire and toxic smoke and prevent them from travelling through a building, restricting damage to a small area. They also enable people to evacuate a building and provide safe access for the emergency services.
How fire doors work
The key parts of a fire door are:
- Smoke seals
- Fire door glazing
- Threshold seals
- Air transfer grilles.
These all work together to provide a fire barrier, so one small change can have a big impact on performance. A fire door only works if it is installed correctly with compatible components like ironmongery, seals and frame.
Where fire doors are installed
In a block of flats, fire doors should be on the stairwells and in corridors and the front door of each flat should also be a fire door. They are also used to protect areas where there is a risk of combustion, for example bin storage areas or mains electricity service cupboards. Sometimes fire doors are installed within individual homes, but this depends on design and layout.
How to tell a door is a fire door
Fire doors in common areas of the building (corridors, stairwells and service rooms) will have a blue sign. Front doors, and fire doors inside individual homes, do not need to have a sign.
Inspection and maintenance
Hyde, like all landlords and building owners, is legally responsible for fire doors in the common areas of buildings.
Fire doors as front doors
Front doors face onto ‘critical means of escape routes’. It is vital front doors work properly when a fire breaks out, so it is important that the front doors of flats are fire doors. Leaseholders may be responsible for ensuring their front door has a suitable fire rating and that compatible components are fitted, and need to check their lease agreement.
All fire doors must be fitted with appropriate fire rated door closers. These need to be inspected and maintained regularly, to ensure they are working correctly, otherwise the fire door may not provide sufficient protection.
Reporting an issue
Hyde residents should contact us using our dedicated email address firstname.lastname@example.org if they find an issue with the fire safety doors in their building. More details on building fire safety can be found in the residents’ handbook. If residents have any concerns, they should contact the local fire service for advice.