Wirral Fire Protection is supportingFire Door Safety Week between 15th and 21st September 2014. Fire doors save lives and property.
Fire Door Safety Week is all about raising awareness of this critical element of fire safety in every commercial, public and multiple occupancy building.
Activities during Fire Door Safety Week
During Fire Door Safety Week members of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service will be visiting local businesses to conduct a fire safety audit. During the visit they will promote Fire Door Safety Week and will give out general fire safety / arson reduction advice during each of the visits.
During the visit they will:
- Raise awareness of the critical role of fire doors, drawing attention to specific issues such as poor installation and maintenance
- Encourage building owners and users to check the operation and condition of their fire doors and to report those that aren’t satisfactory
- Engage and educate people, helping with the whole building industry and every property owner to understand the correct specification, supply, installation, operation, inspection and maintenance of fire doors
During September we will also visit local businesses to give out general fire safety advice and arson reduction advice.
About fire doors
About 3 million new fire doors are bought and installed every year in the UK. But to save lives, fire doors must work correctly.
- Fire doors save lives and property
- They are part of a building’s passive fire protection system and are fundamental to most fire strategies for buildings
- They provide critical protection within a building such as escape routes (stairs and corridors) and places of relative safety, and in separating different fire hazards in a building
Importance of fire doors
Important information about fire doors:
- To save lives, fire doors must work correctly
- They must be tested and third-party certificated to BS 476 Part 22 or BS EN 1634 Part 1
- They must be fitted with the correct and compatible components suited to the door leaf and its purpose
- Like any fire safety device, they should be installed and maintained by competent people
- A fire door’s performance should never be compromised
- Correct glazing and ironmongery must be used
- No altering or adapting the door leaf on site
- Always use the correct frames
- Always use intumescent seals
- Ensure good installation and maintenance
- Never prop open a fire door
Fire doors – what to do
- Specify and use third-party certificated fire doors and components
- Buy fire doors, frames and components from certificated companies
- Check the certificate matches the door
- Make sure you have the correct certification for the door’s intended use
- Install and maintain fire doors using competent personnel
- Make sure that ironmongery components are CE marked
Fire doors – don’t
- Fit a fire door like any other door – it’s not, it’s an engineered safety device
- Cut vision panels and other holes on site
- Patch up a fire door
- Take risks by reducing the specification
- Disconnect a fire door closer
- Prop or wedge open a fire door