Fire doors: to say there’s a lot to learn would be a vast understatement. As a landlord, property manager or health & safety responsible person, understanding all you need to know about properly accredited fire doors couldn’t be more crucial in developing a fail-safe fire safety strategy.
Let’s backtrack; what do we mean by ‘properly’ accredited?
As fire safety experts, here at Excel we pride ourselves on doing things by the book – a term which is widely used in the fire safety industry, yet often not implemented – especially when it comes to fire doors. Before a ‘fire door’ can be classed as such, it has to undergo rigorous practical testing which – if it’s up to standard – will result in the relevant certification being issued.
What many people don’t know is that this certificate doesn’t just pertain to the door itself, but the ‘door set’ altogether; the actual frame it sits in, the very hinges it swings upon and the other ‘furniture’ – i.e. door handle, opener and lock. Essentially, an “accredited” fire door is only so if it’s built from those exact pieces of equipment combined. Change one piece – the letter box, fastener or even the peephole – and you need an entirely new set of testing. Yes – details as small as these could not only leave you liable from a legal standpoint, but could ultimately cost lives.
As such, here are our top three points that you need to know about properly accredited fire doors:
Just because the equipment is certified, doesn’t mean the door set will be.
If you’re reviewing your fire safety strategy and it’s time for your fire door re-assessment, don’t cut corners. Simply choosing accredited equipment doesn’t ensure that your fire door will stand the test of time – and as we well know, seconds and minutes could be crucial. Make sure that you seek out testing certification for the entire door set – that is, every product combined and tested in the exact way you’re going to have it installed – rather than just picking and choosing from a catalogue of ‘certified’ products.
Keeping hold of all documentation could save you money in the long-term.
Of the many clients we conduct fire door surveys for, the truth is that most of them end up needing to be completely replaced, rather than updated or upgraded – because we can’t see the documentation which allows us to certify certain fire door sets. Make sure that, as the landlord or responsible person, you keep all fire door documentation in a safe place, so you can have it to hand when your annual fire risk assessment comes up.
Do your research and, if need be, consult with an expert.
It’s easy to tick boxes and sleep soundly, but the reality is that the service we at Excel provide prevents disasters – moreover saves lives in the event of one. Certified fire doors can make all the difference in an emergency situation, so doing your due-diligence when undergoing an install or upgrade should be a no brainer.
As a FIRAS certified installer of timber fire doors, our highly qualified experts here at Excel Fire go above and beyond before signing their name to anything. We consider ourselves your fire safety partner, not just another fire risk assessment company here in London – we’ll make sure you understand everything you need to about accredited fire doors before you make a move, so that we can all rest easy at night.
Excel Fire – our forward thinking gives you reassurance. Get in touch with the team on 0203 302 9558 today for fire risk assessments, validation surveys, timber fire door installations and more.