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Fire doors are one of the most vital safety measures in any building, acting as a barrier against fire and smoke. But, even the smallest oversight can lead to their failure during inspections, putting lives and property at risk. It is absolutely essential that routine fire door inspections occur, ensuring that these crucial protective measures work as intended during emergencies. Failing to meet fire door standards not only jeopardises lives but can result in crippling legal penalties, hefty fines and irreparable damage to your building’s reputation. Worse still, the failure of fire doors in an emergency could lead to tragic, avoidable consequences.

To help you avoid these risks, we’ll outline the top five reasons why fire doors fail inspections and offer practical solutions to ensure your building remains safe and compliant.

Damage or Missing Components

Over time, wear and tear can cause fire doors to lose critical components or suffer damage, such as cracked glazing or warped edges. These issues compromise the door’s ability to function effectively, thus inhibiting their ability to protect the spread of fire. 

Fire door inspections should pay attention to even the smallest signs of damage or missing parts, such as hinges, seals, handles, or glazing panels. Regular visual checks can catch these issues early and ensure prompt repairs to keep the fire door in operational condition.

Incorrect Installation

A common misconception is that a certified fire door automatically ensures compliance. However, if it’s incorrectly installed - too large for the frame or with inappropriate gaps - its effectiveness is drastically reduced.

To minimise the possibility of incorrect installation, always ensure it is carried out by professionals who fully understand fire safety requirements, such as certified fire door installers. Regular post-installation checks will help verify that the door remains compliant.

Lack of Proper Signage

We use signs to navigate our way around the world everyday. That’s why it’s extra important that fire door signs are visible and easy to read. In the event of an emergency, people in the property should be able to clearly make out fire exits due to their signs. If the signs are torn, scratched, placed incorrectly or even non-existent, the danger of the situation increases. In a dark, smoke-filled corridor where visibility is limited occupants may not be able to identify fire exits quickly, resulting in a chaotic and dangerous evacuation.

Further, signage indicating that a door is a fire door and should remain closed is more than a guideline - it’s a legal requirement. Missing or incorrect signage will almost certainly result in a failed inspection and legal consequences. 

To prevent this, regularly inspect all fire door signs and replace any that are damaged, missing or incorrectly placed. Make sure all fire doors have legally required signs, most importantly ‘Fire Door - Keep Closed’ labels.

Fire Door Clearance Issues

For a fire door to function effectively, there must be specific clearances between the door and the floor/frame. If these gaps are too large, smoke and fire can pass through, rendering the door ineffective. The gap around the top and sides of the door should not exceed 4mm; the bottom no more than 8mm. 

In order to prevent clearance issues, have professionals inspect and adjust any misaligned or incorrectly hung doors. Regular measurements should be part of your inspection routine, ensuring the gaps remain within legal limits.

Infrequent or Inadequate Maintenance

Even the best fire doors deteriorate over time. Without regular maintenance, small issues can snowball into major safety hazards. Doors that once passed inspection may no longer meet standards due to ageing components or lack of routine care.

Be sure to implement a scheduled maintenance plan to ensure safety checks are carried out at regular intervals by professional inspectors. Even if your fire doors passed inspection years ago, without regular maintenance, critical components could degrade unnoticed, causing you to fail future checks.

Conclusion 

Fire doors are essential in preventing the spread of fire and smoke. By understanding the potential pitfalls, you can take proactive steps to ensure your fire doors remain compliant and effective. Paying close attention to the seemingly small aspects of your fire doors, such as cracks or gaps, can have a huge impact on the safety of your property and the people in it. 

Our fire door inspection software, Aurora, allows you to easily track and maintain the safety standards of your fire doors. With real-time data entry, customised checklists and automated reminders, it helps ensure compliance and eliminates the risk of oversight, especially when it comes to the smaller details. Inspectors conveniently can log issues on-site, upload photos and certifications and track repairs, all from one app. 

Don’t leave the safety of your building and occupants to chance. Book a free demo of Aurora’s revolutionary software today and discover how easy it is to stay compliant and proactive when it comes to fire door safety.