Inspection & maintenance

of fire doors –

a credible action plan

Presented by Clive Reilly

Checkmate Fire Solutions Ltd

“The installation of a fire door is a complex

procedure requiring a detailed understanding of

the important role played by each component &

therefore needs to be undertaken by someone

with the correct training”.

(BWF-CERTIFIRE)

Fire Doors

Norman Macdonald, BRE Principal Consultant, checking

upgraded fire doors at Ormskirk Hospital

It is estimated by BWF Certifire that more than 80% of installed one

hour fire doors will in reality not provide one hour fire rating

Fire Doors - what can go wrong?

Fire Doors - what can go wrong?

Fire Doors - what can go wrong?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Maintenance17.—(1) Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons the responsible person must

ensure that the premises and any facilities, equipment and devices provided in respect of the premises under this Order or,

subject to paragraph (6), under any other enactment, including any enactment repealed or revoked by this Order, are

subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good

repair.

Retail giant, the Co-operative Group (CWS) Limited, was found guilty at Hove Crown Court of endangering the lives of its customers and staff at six of its East

Sussex stores.

The group was fined a total of £250,000 on 14 September 2007 for six breaches of fire safety at its stores The case arose following an inspection of a Co-op store

in London Road, St Leonards, on 17 July 2006 by a fire officer from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service after an environmental officer raised concerns about

unsatisfactory storage of rubbish at the premises. The fire officer identified numerous serious fire safety management deficiencies at the store, including an

inoperative fire alarm, inadequate fire separation between the basement and upper floors, fire doors wedged open, obstructed escape routes and an

inadequately maintained escape ladder serving the upper floors.

A landlord in northwest London was fined after pleading guilty to breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire

Safety) Order.

In London, a landlord in Harrow was ordered to pay more than £10,000 in fines and costs. Vispasp

Sakari was prosecuted following a fire at a house of multiple occupation on 22 November 2007.

Fire safety inspectors from London Fire Brigade found that the fire alarm was not functioning and the main

exit was obstructed. Fire doors were unserviceable due to missing or broken parts and the fire

extinguishers were past their testing dates. In addition, the cupboard of the main electrical supply unit was

full of combustible material and wires had been left exposed.

Prosecutions

Prosecutions

A landlord has been sent to prison in the first custodial sentence to be given in London under the new fire

safety regulations. Mr Mehmat Parlak was sentenced to four months imprisonment and his company,

Watchacre Properties Limited, were fined £21,000 following conviction for serious breaches of the

regulatory reform order (RRO). – October 2008

Fire risk assessor and hotel manager jailed for fire safety offences - 08 July 2011

A failure to ensure effective means of escape with doors leading onto corridors not being fire

resisting or having self-closers fitted.

A failure to ensure that equipment and devices provided were subject to a suitable system of

maintenance…. a locked fire exit door, and exit routes obstructed by combustible materials.

The other offence at the Market Inn related to a missing fire door and a window not being fire resisting.

The Chumleigh Lodge Hotel in Finchley, North London, has been ordered to pay more than £260,000 in

fines and costs after committing a number of offences under the Fire Safety Order.

• Two counts of failure to ensure premises, facilities, equipment or devices are maintained in an

efficient state, in working order and in good repair,

Fire Doors

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE RRO

•Applies to all non-domestic premises.

•Responsibility for compliance rests with the ‘responsible person’.

•Responsible person must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment which focuses on the

safety of all ‘relevant persons’.

•May appoint a ‘competent person’.

Inspecting Fire Doors

• Europe's only fire door

inspection scheme

• Provides evidence of

competence.

Inspecting Fire Doors

What needs to be inspected?

• Door leaf and frame

• Glazed apertures

• Intumescent fire and smoke seals

• Closing and opening devices

• Ironmongery

• Mandatory safety signs

Sometimes they just have to be replaced

Maintenance of tested fire doors

Maintenance of “nominal” fire doors

Maintenance of “nominal” fire doors

Maintenance of “nominal” fire doors

Pictures courtesy of Intastop Ltd

Maintenance of “nominal” fire doors

Preventative maintenance

Pictures courtesy of Intastop Ltd

Preventative maintenance

Preventative maintenance

Inspection & certification

St Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight

Case Study

St Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight

Case Study

Before the Audit

• Existing drawings were found to be not fit for purpose.

• Doors were not numbered.

• No door schedule.

• No differentiation existed between main compartmentation (1

hour) and sub compartmentation (1/2 hour).

• Number of fire doors and condition of fire doors and

compartment walls not known.

• No system to organise and prioritise required remedial work.

St Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight

Case Study

The Island’s Fire Enforcement Officer & Building Control were involved in the work as it progressed

St Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight

Case Study

Phase 3 Location - Level BLeaf Gaps

Fire Door No (Trust) Inspection Date Assumed rating (in mins) Label/Plugs Present Function Configuration Leaf Condition Head Closing/ Meeting Hinge Threshold Leaf to door stop gap

F2.6/ 78 24/10/2010 30 N Office DLSAU Satisfactory Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 61 24/10/2010 30 N Office SLSAL Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 76 24/10/2010 30 N Store SLSAL Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 77 24/10/2010 30 N Store SLSAL Poor Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 68 25/10/2010 30 N Store SLSAL Satisfactory Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 75 25/10/2010 30 N Store SLSAL Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 67 25/10/2010 30 N Escape Route DLSAL Satisfactory Satisfactory 3-5mm Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 69 10/11/2010 30 N Service Riser DLSAL Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 70 10/11/2010 30 N Service Riser DLSAL Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 71 10/11/2010 30 N Escape Route SLSAL Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6/ 72 10/11/2010 30 N Service Riser DLSAL Satisfactory 5-7mm 5-7mm 5-7mm 10-15mm Satisfactory

F2.6/ 73 10/11/2010 30 N Service Riser DLSAL Satisfactory 5-7mm 5-7mm 5-7mm 10-15mm Satisfactory

F2.6/ 74 10/11/2010 30 N Escape Route SLSAL Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6a/ 62 125/10/2010 30 N Escape Route DLDAU Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6a/ 63 25/10/2010 30 N Escape Route DLSAU Satisfactory 5-7mm 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6a/ 64 25/10/2010 30 N Escape Route DLSAL Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6a/ 65 24/10/2010 30 N Escape Route DLDAU Satisfactory 5-7mm 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory

F2.6a/ 61 25/10/2010 30 N Escape Route DLDAU Satisfactory 5-7mm Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory N/A

F2.6b/ 62 24/10/2010 30 N Escape Route DLDAU Satisfactory 5-7mm 5-7mm 5-7mm Satisfactory N/A

F2.6b/ 61 24/10/2010 30 N Escape Route DLDAU Satisfactory 5-7mm 5-7mm 5-7mm Satisfactory N/A

Following the Audit

• Differentiation now exists between main compartmentation and

sub compartmentation.

• Approximately 500 fire doors were found not to form part of the

hospital’s fire compartmentation -saving future inspection and

remedial costs.

• The condition of each door set now known, enabling remedial

work to be phased and prioritised within budgetary constraints.

• The hospital now has a system for managing the fire

compartmentation for the life of the building.

St Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight

Case Study

Fire Door Inspection and maintenance - an action plan

• Select a competent fire door inspector. Undertake a

survey of existing fire door inventory and act on the findings

• Promote throughout the organisation

• Demand test evidence

• Carry out on-going inspection and re-certification

• Specify what is required and check what is installed

• Take control – do not leave it to chance

• Select a “competent person” to carry out the installation

and maintenance of fire doors.

• Introduce a permit to work system

The finished product

Pictures courtesy of Intastop Ltd

Check the head of the door!