Fire doors
Most fire doors in buildings are either designed to offer 30 minutes protection (FD30) or 60 minutes protection (FD 60). Both of these doors should be installed with intumescent fire seals.
The correct use of fire doors is critical for them to be effective in fire stopping. Leaving fire doors open with the use of the Yellow Pages or the nearest fire extinguisher, is gross mismanagement of these important fire stopping systems. It is therefore critical that a fire door is correctly signed; the most common sign being a blue circle containing the words "fire door keep shut".
Generally fire doors installed within the means of escape should open in the direction of the escape egress and should not double swing. The only exception would be for doors hung in mid-corridor that are designed to act as a smoke break. These doors can be hung to double swing, but must include brush smoked seals for hardwearing use, as these doors are often pounded with heavy traffic. Many fire doors contain a vision panel, and it is absolutely critical that the glass used offers the same amount of fire resistance to that of the door. The glazing must be installed using the correct fire rated bead including intumescent. If intumescent is not included, then in a fire the glass will slump and fall out of the aperture within minutes - rendering the door useless. Fire doors are not installed within buildings for the sake of it, it is absolutely critical that managers ensure that staff and all visitors are clearly instructed on the correct use the fire door, to respect a key building element that is designed to help save our lives. Below I have put together a straightforward outline to help assess on a regular basis your fire doors for the risk assessment process. You can never check them enough!
Fire Doors (General)
Fire resisting means that the construction so designated is capable of resisting the action of fire for not less than half an hour resisting, the passage of flame and providing insulation as defined in under the prescribed conditions of test appropriate to such construction in accordance with the current British Standard 476.
What should a fire door contain:
- Fire Door Signs
- Sign, Colour & Pictogram
- Description, Uses and Conventions Positioned at eye level, on both faces of each leaf of self-closing fire doors.
Used on fire doors without ?Self-Closing? devices, i.e. cleaner?s cupboard, some types of stores and plant rooms / service ducts - only fix to outer door face, at eye level.
Used on doors connected to 'magnetic door hold open devices', this releases the doors on activation of the fire alarm system. To be placed on the visible open leaf at eye level when the door is held open, to avoid the obstructing of the fire doors when released automatically.
Intumescent Seals - New fire doors contain intumescent seals, older doors should have them rebated into the door edge.
Smoke Seals - Fire doors should be ftted with "Cold Smoke Seals or Brushes". In general, all fire doors leading onto stair enclosures, protected corridors (Dead end conditions) and corridor partition doors, protected lobbies and doors to all sleeping accommodation are to have smoke seals. It is recommended that these are the brush type and NOT rubber strip type, as they are not as durable and long lasting in maintenance terms, as brushes.
Glazing In Fire Doors
If a glazing panel is required in a fire door or partition then the glazing has to be Fire Resisting Glazing of 30 / 60 minutes integrity (FRG30/60) meeting BS 476: Part 22 -1987 - Fire tests on building materials and structures. Methods for determination of the fire resistance of non-load bearing elements of construction
Fanlights above fire doors are to be sealed so they cannot be opened and the construction to meet either FRG30 or FR30, as required.
All fire doors should be correctly hung:
Gaps & Hinges - Close fitting to the frame with a maximum gap of 5 mm but 3 mm is the accepted working gap and hung by 1½ pairs of all metal hinges with a melting point of not less than 800°C (both nylon and nylon bushed hinges are unacceptable).
Self Closing - Fitted with an effective self-closing device capable of closing the door tight against the stop, overcoming the resistance of any latch or lock.
Click Here For Fire Doors Case History
Warren Hickson
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