No matter what type of business you have or what industry you belong to, you must make the safety of your employees and customers a priority. This is why fireproofing your office is extremely important.
Moreover, with fire related accidents and injuries on the rise, it has become even more crucial for businesses to ensure that their offices are fire-rated. This also includes fire-rating the doors of an office, which may be the points of entry and exit in the event of a fire.
It is also important to consider the current fire door regulations in the UK to find out whether your office space is indeed up to code. As a business owner or manager, it is your responsibility to be aware of the fire door requirements and regulations in the UK.
So, what are the requirements of a fire door?
At Doorway Services, we have put together this brief guide to explain all there is to know about the regulations on fire doors. Read on to find out more.
UK Fire Door Regulations—Explained
Who Can Install Fire Doors?
Fire door regulations in the UK do not specify a requirement of any qualification that should be held by the individual fitting fire doors. However, the regulations do specify that the responsibility of installing these doors in commercial buildings must go to a “responsible person”, like:
- A business owner or a self-employed person using the business premise
- A voluntary organisation
- A contractor who has some degree of control over the premise
- A person providing accommodation to paying guests
On the other hand, you could also choose a professional fire door installer like Doorway Services to help you install your fire doors.
Not only will our team take care of the entire process, they will also ensure that the doors are properly installed without any gaps or cracks between the door and the frame or its glasswork and the seals.
What Are Internal And External Fire Doors
According to FD ratings, in the event of a fire, an internal fire door is supposed to divide a building into different compartments so that there are various escape routes available.
Contrastingly, an external fire door must be situated at the end, providing an exit to the outside and need not be fire resistant as such. However, having an external door is necessary, according to fire regulations in the UK, and it must never be blocked.
Additionally, it is important for the external door to have a clear sign that indicates that it is an exit and it should have an easy way of being opened from the inside.
Fire Regulations In Commercial Buildings
When it comes to commercial buildings, both horizontal and vertical escape routes are taken into consideration.
A vertical escape or evacuation refers to the process of evacuating everyone inside a commercial building by using flights of stairs. On the other hand, a horizontal escape or evacuation involves moving people away from the fire horizontally, towards a fireproof area of the building without leaving the floor they are on.
What’s more, fire doors in a commercial building are required to be fitted keeping these routes in mind. The doors must also have an FD rating based on an individual assessment that takes into account the type of building, the location of the door and what surrounds the door.
How Fire Door Frames Work
The frame of a fire door is important for its functioning. Therefore, as per fire door regulations in the UK, it is best to purchase from professional door manufacturers, like Doorway Services, who are licensed to produce fire rated door frames and have the required experience.
In situations where fitting a fire-rated door frame is not possible, the regulations allow for intumescent seals to be fitted into the edges of the door. If, however, fitting a door frame is possible, do keep in mind that the gap between the door and the frame should not exceed 4 mm.
How to Maintain Fire Doors
According to UK fire door regulations, fire doors in commercial buildings should be inspected and maintained on a regular basis to ensure that they can properly function in case of a fire. If these checks are not carried out, there is a chance that the door could become faulty, putting a lot of lives at risk.
Maintenance checks should ideally be performed once every six months. However, doors in commercial buildings that experience a higher volume of traffic are likely to become damaged faster and thus, need more frequent inspections.
Contact Doorway Services For Fire Rated Commercial Doors
With the help of this guide on fire door requirements, you should better understand the steps that you need to take in accordance with fire door regulations in the UK, to ensure safety from fires.
You should now assess what your business needs are and pick a fire rated commercial door that is suitable for your business.
At Doorway Services, we offer a wide range of fire-rated commercial doors as well as commercial door maintenance services that can meet all of your requirements.
To find out more, contact us today!
Recent Comments