Are fire door inspections a legal requirement? Yes, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Building Safety Act, it is a legal requirement for fire doors in commercial, public, and multi-occupancy buildings to be regularly inspected and maintained.
According to the BWF-CERTFIRE Best Practice Guide, as a building owner or responsible person you should check your fire doors once every 6 months, with the exception of buildings over 11 meters – The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require quarterly checks for fire doors in common areas for such buildings. Flat entrance doors should be checked annually. However, the frequency of checks may depend on the circumstances. For example, doors in high-traffic areas may need to be checked more often.
- Who should check: A competent and qualified person should inspect fire doors.
At AWAlarms we are qualified to FDIS Diploma in the BWF Fire door inspection scheme.
- What to check: A visual and functional inspection should include:
- Gaps: Check that the gaps around the top and sides of the door are less than 4 mm when closed. The gap under the door can be slightly larger, but if you can see light, it’s probably too big.
- Hinges: Check that there are three hinges in good condition, with all screws in place and no oil leakage.
- Seals: Check that the intumescent and smoke seals around the door and frame are intact and free from damage.
- Glazing: Check that the glazing is fire rated and that there’s no damage.
- Markings: Check for relevant markings, such as from the British Woodworking Federation, to identify the fire rating.
If faults are found, appropriate maintenance may be required, or the door may need to be replaced.