Fire doors carry out an important role in any building, however fire doors need to be checked regularly to ensure that they are in good working order. Fire doors can easily become damaged when they are in regular use.
Who is responsible?
The “Responsible Person” is someone who is ultimately in charge of a building and it is this person who has legal responsibility for all fire safety on the premises, including checking fire doors.
When should they be checked?
Fire doors should be checked at least every 6 months, or every 3 months if the building is particularly busy.
What should be checked?
First of all you need to ensure that is a certified fire door, this can be identified through a label or plug which will show that it is CE-marked. The door frame also needs to be sourced from a licensed manufacturer and be free from damage or faults. There should be an automatic door closer that ensures the door fully closes on its own. You will be able to see if it has closed properly by checking the gaps around the frame. There needs to be seals around the whole door that are damage free.
If you feel that your fire door may need some maintenance, you can hire professionals to carry out a full risk assessment and recommend improvements.If you have checked your fire doors and everything looks good. Remember, they will only be able to do their job if they are closed, the ultimate check on every fire door, is that they are not wedged open.
