While there's no doubt that alarms, extinguishers and sprinklers are extremely important when it comes to protecting people in the event of a fire, you shouldn't forget about the effectiveness of fire doors.
Fire doors are an example of what's known as passive protection, as they slow the spread of fire and smoke throughout a building, rather than tackling the fire and helping to put it out.
Because fire doors are passive, they sometimes get forgotten about, which can put them in jeopardy of not working properly when they're needed. Make sure your fire doors are up to scratch and ready to work, by performing these simple checks on a regular basis.
Visual checks
Look over the whole door and frame to check there's no damage or obstruction. Make sure any glass is intact and showing no signs of damage, and that the door looks like it's sitting properly in the frame.
Movement
Open and close the door a few times to make sure nothing is stopping it from moving freely. Next, open the door fully and let go so it closes on its own. The mechanism should make it close slowly and smoothly, not fast or suddenly. Check it isn't sticking and that it closes fully with no gap.
Automatic closer
Many fire doors have one of these devices fitted, which allows the door to be kept open in normal conditions. If the alarm is set off, the doors will close on their own to contain any fire.
Give the closer a look over to see if there's any obvious damage. However, to test it properly, you'll need to set off the alarm and perform a full drill so you can check any doors close as they should.
Surrounding area
The space around a fire door should always be kept clear. This ensures that the door can automatically close without obstruction when the alarm sounds.
Sometimes, people prop open fire doors with various objects, not realising the danger they could be causing. Make sure everyone in the building understands the importance of keeping fire doors clear.
Signage
Fire doors should be clearly labelled as such so that people understand their purpose. Make sure there are clear signs displayed on or close to each door, and that they're in good condition. Any torn or peeling signs should be replaced so they stay clearly legible. You should only use professionally produced signs, not paper notices printed out on the office printer.
For more information, reach out to a fire safety inspection service.
