Fire Door Safety Week is an important reminder to check and strengthen your fire defences, starting with your doors. They are integral to your overall health and safety compliance and are required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Fire Safety Bill. At Elite Security, we have over two decades of experience maintaining, repairing and inspecting fire doors to ensure our clients stay safe in the event of a fire. Over the years we have worked with hundreds of companies in Essex, London and beyond.
Source: Fire Door Safety Week
When is Fire Door Safety Week 2023?
Fire Door Safety Week will take place from September 19th to September 25th 2023. It is a week-long event that encourages people to learn about fire safety and most importantly, inspect their fire doors.
What is Fire Door Safety Week?
Following nationwide fire door neglect, Fire Door Safety Week was set up in 2013. The awareness campaign aims to “increase public understanding of the vital role that fire doors play in protecting life and property.”
Source: About Fire Door Safety Week
5 Ways to Strengthen Your Fire Defences
Below, we have outlined five things you should do this Fire Door Safety Week to strengthen your fire defences. From checking the certification of your fire doors to identifying any areas of degradation, use the awareness event as an opportunity to conduct a fire door inspection.
Alternatively, contact Elite Security to enquire about our Fire Door Planned Preventative Maintenance service, which includes regular inspections of your fire doors in compliance with national standards.
For a deep dive into fire doors, read our guide on Everything You Need to Know About Fire Door Inspections, where you will learn more about the role of fire doors and how often they should be inspected.
1. Make Sure Your Fire Doors Latch Automatically
For fire safety doors to be effective, they need to latch or completely close after being opened. A simple way to test this is to open the door and let it swing shut. If the door does not latch, then maintenance will need to be carried out to repair the fault.
2. Check the Certification and Labelling
All fire doors need to be certified and clearly labelled to comply with health and safety standards in the UK. Fire Door Safety Week is the perfect opportunity to check your certifications and ensure the labels are clean, easy to see and free from damage.
3. Identify Any Potential Damage or Holes
Speaking of damage, it is important to regularly check your fire doors for wear and tear. Over time and with frequent use, doors can degrade which may impact how well they protect you in case of a fire. In particular, make sure the smoke seals and hinges are in good condition.
4. Measure the Gaps Between the Door and Frame
Over time, door hinges can become loose which causes the entire door to sag. Fire safety doors should have no less than a 4mm gap between the doorframe and at least 8mm between the floor. This Fire Door Safety Week, take your measuring tape and inspect the gaps between your fire doors and their frames.
5. Remove Obstacles in Your Fire Safety Route
In case of an emergency, your fire safety route should be free from obstacles. Walk around the evacuation route and make sure there are no desks, chairs or other office equipment that may stop people from properly using your fire doors.
