Fire Door Legislation - FMJ

Abstract

Five years after the terrible Grenfell Tower tragedy some of the initial inquiry findings have impacted fire door legislation and, by extension, facilities managers' duties around the fire safety of the buildings. Changes in legislation From 23 January 2023, all responsible persons for multi-occupied residential buildings in England with storeys over 11 metres will need to: Undertake quarterly checks on all fire doors in the common parts Undertake annual checks on all flat entrance doors that lead onto a building's common parts Responsible persons of multi-occupied residential buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises will also need to provide all residents with information on the importance of fire doors and the role they play in keeping the building safe. What is the current fire door legislation? When you need a fire door Domestic Buildings In domestic dwellings above two levels, every door leading to a stairwell must be a fire door where it leads to a habitable room. Checks to carry out: Below, we've listed the necessary checks to carry out on fire doors to ensure they're in line with current legislation: Certification The fire door itself should have a label, plug or similar marking on the door showing it's a certified fire door. All ironmongery such as locks, latches, door closers and hinges must also be CE or UKCA marked and be compatible with the door leaf's certification. Gaps & Seals There should be a gap of no more than 3-4mm around the door and the door frame. The gap at the bottom of the door should be no more than 8mm. If it's a fire and smoke door, it should be no more than 3mm. If it's larger than this, a drop down seal can be used to close the gap.