What is the difference between a regular door and a fire door?

Fire doors are a critical part of your commercial buildings fire safety. They provide a safe exit, as well as withstanding and protecting occupants from fire for a certain period of time, allowing extended time for a safe exit. They also offer a safe vantage point for people within a building during any kind of evacuation.

The Fire Safety Order 2005 makes it clear that all emergency exits must be available, allowing for a clear, quick and easy route to safety.

What makes a fire door… a fire door?

So according to ASDMA (The Architectural and Specialist Doors) a fire door can be characterized as the following:

“A complete installed door assembly comprising door-frame, door leaves, other panels, hardware, seals and any glazing that, when closed, is intended to resist the passage of fire and smoke in accordance with specified performance criteria. A fire door a complete installed assembly."

Be clear that as a “responsible person” you need to ensure that all fire doors on your premises are in full working order. There are a number of key responsibilities that you as a duty holder have to abide by to meet fire safety order guidelines. Routes to safe exits must be easily accessible in the event of any emergency. As we’ve mentioned previously, all potential obstacles and or obstructions must be removed to allow for this.

Regular wooden doors that have no fire resistant material will understandably offer little to zero fire protection unlike fire doors that are packed with fire resistant materials.

Fire ratings, what are they?

Fire doors will typically have a fire rating or fire resistance rating, in full. The make up of a fire door will commonly be a combination of timber, steel, aluminium, glass and gypsum. You will notice that fire doors are labeled "Keep Shut" or "Keep Clear", this is because the doors are created to function closed, with any slight openings sealed.

For further information regarding fire door safety and our fire door maintenance service, please click here, or give us a call today - 01604 696113.