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Fire Door Audit

Fire doors ensure that employees and visitors can escape safely by helping to prevent the spread of fire and, importantly, to limit the spread of smoke. Therefore having regular audits and inspecting the condition of fire doors is essential.

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Fire Door Audit

A building’s fire doors are an essential part of a successful fire safety strategy. Fire doors ensure that employees and visitors can escape safely by helping to prevent the spread of fire and, importantly, to limit the spread of smoke. Therefore having regular audits and inspecting the condition of fire doors is vital.

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Why is a fire door audit important?

Fire doors help contain the fire and smoke to the area where it originated and help keep access routes, corridors, and fire exits clear from fire and smoke for longer to aid escape.

In short, fire doors help save lives.

The main issues surrounding the performance of fire doors are incorrect installation and doors falling into disrepair from poor maintenance. This is why regular checks and an annual fire door inspection, carried out by competent and qualified assessors, are essential.

What does a fire door audit involve?

A certified FDIS Inspector will visit site to undertake a full audit of all fire doors within the premises to ensure they remain compliant. The entire door set and its integrity will be thoroughly inspected to ensure it will still perform correctly in the event of a fire.

A full report will then be presented detailing the condition of each door against a number of pre-determined items, highlighting the health of each individual door along with detailed images of problem areas and defects. A remedial schedule of any work to be undertaken will also be produced.

Any areas deemed to be inaccessible will also be detailed as part of the report. All doors inspected will be given an asset number which will be highlighted on a floor plan of the building to aid with future inspections and corrective work.

What should I look out for when checking fire doors?

Check for certification
There should be a label or plug on the top or side of the door to show it is a certificated fire door. If there isn’t a label or plug, contact your landlord or us.
Check for gaps
Check around the top and sides of the door to ensure they are consistently less than 4mm when closed. You can use a £1 coin to give a feel for scale; this is about 3mm thick. You can also invest in a fire door gap gauge. As a general guide, if you can see the light under the door, the gap is likely to be too big.
Check for damage
If your fire door has damage, report it and ensure the necessary remedial works are carried out. Fire and smoke can find a way through any gaps.
Check the seals
There should be intumescent seals around the door which are free from damage.
These seals are vital to the fire door’s performance, expanding when in contact with heat to ensure fire or smoke) can’t move through the gaps. If there are missing intumescent seals, report it and ensure the necessary remedial works are carried out.
Check the hinges
All fire door hinges should be firmly fixed with no missing or broken screws. There should be a minimum of three hinges. If there are fewer than three hinges or if screws are broken or missing, then remedial work are required. These hinges minimise the risk of warping and can help give you the time needed to exit the building.
Check the fire door closes correctly.
To test this, open the door halfway, let it go, and allow the door to close by itself. The door should close fully without sticking to the frame.

How often should fire doors be audited?

It is recommended that doors be fully audited every six months, but as ever, a risk-based approach is needed in your premises to ensure doors are being checked regularly enough. If the building users are considered vulnerable, or members of the public who are unfamiliar with the layout, or if you are carrying out high-risk activities, then all doors should be checked regularly on a round of internal inspections.