Fire doors

Fire doors play a crucial part in preventing the spread of fire and smoke and can help protect people and property in a fire. To be effective they must be properly installed and regularly maintained. Typical characteristics of a fire door:

• the required fire-resistance rating for the complete door set, with any separate smoke-control performance; 30 and 60 minutes are common examples, not the only ratings
• intumescent strips or seals, which expand to fill the gap between the door and the frame
• a self-closing device. Make sure the door closes firmly onto the latch without sticking on the floor or the frame, because a fire door works only when it is closed
• any glazing must have suitable tested performance as part of the door set; not every fire door needs a vision panel
• clear signs appropriate to the door
• escape hardware that allows prompt opening from inside without a key, with panic hardware and opening direction selected for the premises and occupants

Compartmentation

If fire prevention fails and a fire starts in a building, it should be contained and kept from spreading. This is done by designing the building so that it is divided into separate compartments, each surrounded by fire-resistant materials that can resist the spread of smoke and flame. Fire doors make sure that door openings are protected in a fire.

Protection of openings and voids

Assessing the risk in your premises means evaluating their construction and layout. That does not mean a structural survey, unless you suspect that the structure is damaged or that structural fire protection is missing or damaged. It means an informed look around to see whether there are any easy paths through which smoke and fire may spread, and what you can do to stop that. In general, older buildings have more void areas, possibly hidden from view, which let smoke and fire spread away from their source.

Whatever the type of building, consider typical situations that can help fire and smoke to spread:

• vertical shafts, such as lifts, open stairways, service hoists or holes for moving stock around
• false ceilings, especially if they are not fire-stopped above walls
• voids behind wall panelling
• unsealed holes in walls and ceilings where pipework, cables or other services have been installed
• doors, particularly to stairways, that fit badly or are routinely left open

Summary notes for Element 10 · Cheat sheet · Glossary. A study aid, not published or endorsed by NEBOSH.