BUILD Construction Engineering award Winners - Best Passive Fire Protection Specialists 2023
FIRE DOOR MAINTENANCE
BMTRADA Fire Door Maintenance Scheme
Why is it that fire doors need maintenance?
There is a legal requirement for manufacturers of fire doors to demonstrate the ability of their products to resist the passage and spread of fire. However, when they are not properly maintained, their fire resistance capabilities can be seriously compromised. The BM TRADA Q-Mark Fire Door Maintenance scheme has been designed to provide reassurance to specifiers, contractors, and end users that the product they have chosen has been maintained correctly and that it should perform as intended.
The scheme is designed to ensure that fire door sets are being maintained correctly, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or appropriate guidelines.
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Raise the on-going standard of maintenance of fire doors.
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Ensure the product’s fire resistance capabilities are maintained.
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Ensure the product’s service life is maximized through correct maintenance.
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Provide peace of mind that the maintainer is suitably qualified and that their work is continually assessed by an independent body.
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Provide specifiers with the means to demonstrate that the maintenance meets the required standard
What the scheme aims to achieve...
REGULATION 10
The Fire Safety (England) Regulation 10 refers to the maintenance of a buildings fire doors. It has been made a legal requirement from the 23rd of January 2023 for responsible individuals for all multi-occupied residential buildings in England with storeys over 11 meters in height to adhere to the following:
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Undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors (including self-closing devices) in the common parts.
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Undertake, with the greatest of efforts, annual checks of all flat entrance doors (including self-closing devices) that lead onto a building’s common communal areas.
The given regulations also require responsible individuals to provide to residents of all multi-occupied residential buildings with two of more sets of domestic premises (that have communal areas) information on the importance of fire doors to a buildings fire safety.
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Minimum requirements for inspections of fire doors.
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Fire doors are crucial in preventing the spread of fire and smoke in buildings.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that all flat entrance doors in residential buildings must be considered in the Fire Risk Assessment mandated by the Fire Safety Order. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require routine checks to ensure that all self-closing devices are working, and the fire doors (including flat entrance doors) are in efficient working order and in good repair. The checks are to ensure that the existing door standard in maintained.
During the risk assessment, the assessor may recommend improvements to be made to the door and it will be for the responsible individuals to determine how the are implemented. If faults are found with the doors, then it may be necessary to undertake the appropriate amendments.
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It is essential that all possible faults are reviewed and any need for replacement is followed through. ALL non-compliances MUST be identified.
The minimum requirement is for the responsible person to undertake an inspection of the doors to identify any obvious damage or issues. It is not necessary that a specialist carries out these checks however it is the duty of the responsible individuals to identify any non-conformity and report it back to the manufacturer/ door installer. They can then carry out a detailed technical examination.
On the .GOV website you can find useful guidelines which can support a responsible individual in undertaking their checks.
How can you tell if a fire door is no longer compliant?
Apertures: Gaps in the form of glazing & air transfer grilles. Fire stopping and intumescent glazing systems or intumescent air transfer grilles.
There are a multitude of aspects that need to reviewed to ensure that the door is still compliant and could withstand both fire and smoke in the event of a fire. Here’s a few things we look for when inspecting them.
Door closer: Door closer should be fully functioning. Should not be hard to pass the smoke seals.
Gaps & Seals: Gaps around the door frame should be 3-4mm. No loose screws in hinges. The bottom gap should be no greater than 8mm if it is a fire & smoke door, the gap should be no more than 3mm.
Operation: The whole door assembly should close correctly and easily around all 4 sides.
Maintenance Recording & Evidence
Maintenance recording is displayed on the door through our sticker system displayed below. This allows those doing inspections to have a visual recording on each door each time we come out to carry out maintenance. Another method of recording and maintenance history will be through our new door pin system.
Click below to find out more
Take a look...
Can you spot any of these things wrong with your fire doors?
Let us see how we can help...
Did you know?
Quarterly checks are now mandatory under the Fire Safety Regulation 2022. Any defects must be identified & amended. As of January this year we will be offering these once the initial jobs are carried out.
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For more information visit:
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Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fire door guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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