In the UK there is no fixed schedule as to when you need to inspect / survey Fire Doors.
Like any technical product, a door is subject to environmental changes and different types of usage. The usage of a Fire Door in an office environment is different to that of a factory, and the schedule needs to reflect this.
The amount of usage greatly affects inspection frequency. An example could be a utilities cupboard vs a main hallway doorset.
Regardless of the variables the main aim of the inspections and maintenance, is to keep the Fire Door at a safe, operable and compliant state throughout its lifecycle.
FIRE DOOR SCHEDULE
With the right guidance, your own site staff can carry out basic checks on a regular basis.
As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that an external 3rd Party Certified Fire Door inspection company surveys the Fire Doors every 6 months. This then works in collaboration with an internal weekly / bi-weekly check from a member of the maintenance team.
We can help facilitate this synergy between our external expertise and your internal staff to carry out more frequent audits. This ensures issues are dealt with in a timely manner, and doors stay in optimum condition and in a safe, compliant state throughout the lifecycle of the door.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUILDING A FIRE DOOR SCHEDULE:
- How frequently is the door used?
- Is it subject to impacts or excessive wear due to its location or use?
- How would the site, or more importantly, the people in it be impacted by the malfunction of the door or if it failed to perform effectively in the event of a fire?
- Has there been a change in the usage of the space that the door protects, potentially changing the requirements of the door and the frequency of check required.
- Does the Fire Door have any additional special requirements e.g. security, hygiene and acoustic properties.
FIRE DOOR HARDWARE INSPECTION CHECK LIST
Every door has a unique environment and usage, therefore there is no one size fits all check list. That being said, the following are common components to check on a Fire Door.