half hour fire doors in flats, exit routes

[mitchelli]

If half hour fire resistance is required to any new door fitted as a front door to a flat that opens directly onto an exit route or corridor, and if we consider that we would not apply this retrospectively, from what date do we say that a replaced door needs to be changed to conform, do we use RRFSO implementation date ?
Can I allow upvc doors fitted before RRFSO to remain in place ? Any views please.

[jcosgrove]

My view would be to advise change and explain the whole episode of Lakanal House and the proper attention that should be paid to the maintenance of good compartmentation and fire barriers. Explanation should be sufficient.

[mitchelli]

Thanks for that, I am in a position where residents have changed their doors to non half hour fire resisting doors, usually upvc panelled doors, giving the residents advice is not enough, but if I am to enforce replacement which may lead to legal action then what cut off date do I implement, if any ? are you suggesting that all doors must now be fully half hour compliant no matter when they were fitted and what building regulations applied at the time the building went up ?

[jcosgrove]

I think if you decide to use the law you need a lawyer not a fire safety consultant. Expert advice can be called and in my opinion it makes a huge amount of sense to provide protection to your living space. Most UPVC doors do not offer the required protection that I would need if I lived in a flat that leads onto common areas. The risk matrix has changed as a function of fatalities and would suggest that there could be a problem with this type of accomodation and remedy is relatively important. My advice would centre around looking at the lease or ground rental conditions as it would be normal to seek landlords approval for material change...degradation of fire safety arrangements definately fall into this category. Similarly tennants should also look to the supply company of these doors to see if they were informed of the fire integrity of the product and suitability for the property type. If no advice is given I would, not as a lawyer but as a consumer believe that I was mislead.