Fire doors are not just another building feature; they are a critical line of defence in your fire safety strategy.
Engineered with specialised cores and components, they are designed to hold back flames and smoke in the event of a fire, potentially making the difference between life and death.
But like any safety equipment, fire doors only perform at their best if they are inspected and maintained regularly.
Industry best practice, and in many cases, the law recommends professional checks every six months to ensure they remain fully operational.
In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about fire door inspections, including:
- Why Fire Doors Matter
- Fire Door Inspection Frequency
- Importance of Regular Inspections
- What Does a Fire Door Inspection Include?
- Who Is Responsible for Inspections?
- How JST Construction Can Support You
If you have questions or would like a FREE quote for our fire door maintenance packages, call JST Construction on 0151 355 9232 or use the contact form.
Why Fire Doors Matter
Before we look at inspection schedules, it’s worth understanding the unique role fire doors play in building safety. Unlike standard doors, fire doors are purpose-built to:
- Withstand fire and smoke for a set period — typically 30 or 60 minutes
- Create safe escape routes for people to evacuate
- Contain the spread of fire between different areas of a building
- Protect critical assets and infrastructure from damage
When properly maintained, a fire door can quite literally save lives. But its effectiveness can be drastically reduced by even minor faults, such as a damaged seal, a warped frame, or a latch that doesn’t close fully.
Left unchecked, these issues can turn a vital safety feature into a dangerous weak point with potentially catastrophic consequences.
Fire Door Inspection Frequency: What the Law Says
In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a legal duty on the “responsible person” to ensure that all fire safety equipment, including fire doors, is “maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.”
While the legislation does not set a specific inspection interval, BS 9999: Code of Practice for Fire Safety in the Design, Management & Use of Buildings recommends that fire doors are checked by a qualified professional at least every six months.
In high-traffic environments, such as schools, hospitals, and hotels, more frequent inspections are advised, as heavy use can cause wear and tear to develop faster.
The reason is simple: even minor faults can compromise a fire door’s performance, turning a life-saving barrier into a serious hazard.
Inspections are a small investment of time and money compared to the potential cost of property damage, penalties, or, most importantly, loss of life.
The Importance of Regular Fire Door Inspections
Regular fire door inspections are not just a box-ticking exercise.
They are essential for safety, compliance, and financial protection. Here’s why:
- Life-Saving Protection: Fire doors create a barrier between safe areas and fire-affected zones. A faulty door allows smoke and flames to spread faster, endangering lives and potentially blocking escape routes.
- Legal Compliance: Neglecting fire door maintenance is a breach of fire safety law, carrying the risk of heavy fines, legal action, and even imprisonment for the responsible person.
- Insurance Safeguard: Insurers may reject fire-related claims if it’s proven that fire doors were not properly maintained.
- Property Preservation: By containing a fire, well-maintained doors limit structural damage, reducing repair costs and downtime after an incident.
What Does a Professional Fire Door Inspection Include?
A professional fire door inspection involves a series of detailed checks to ensure every component is in full working order.
At a minimum, you can expect the following:
- Certification: Confirming the door is an approved fire door with a visible, legible label.
- Door Leaf Condition: Checking for warps, cracks, dents, or other damage.
- Frame and Joints: Ensuring the frame is secure and all seals or joints are intact.
- Intumescent Seals: Verifying these heat-activated seals are present and undamaged.
- Door Gaps: Measuring the clearance between the door and frame (typically 3–4mm.
- Self-Closing Devices: Ensuring the door closes fully, latches properly, and operates smoothly.
- Hinges and Fixings: Checking all screws are tight and components are free from damage or corrosion.
- Glazing: Inspecting any fire-resistant glass for cracks and ensuring it’s securely installed.
- Locks, Handles & Hardware: Confirming all operate correctly without restricting the door’s function.
While this is the standard checklist, our responsible fire door inspectors at JST Construction will also record the entire process, provide photographic evidence, and issue a detailed report for your records, giving you proof of compliance and peace of mind.
Who's Responsible for Fire Door Inspections?
Under UK fire safety legislation, a clearly designated “responsible person” must ensure that fire doors, and all other fire safety measures are properly maintained and compliant.
Typical nominees for this role include:
- Building owners
- Employers
- Facilities managers
- Managing agents
- Senior organisational leaders
In larger or multi-use buildings, responsibility can be shared or delegated. However, there must always be a clearly appointed individual who understands their legal duties and takes ownership of them.
As good practice, businesses should regularly inform staff, tenants, and visitors of who the responsible person is.
Clear communication ensures everyone knows who to contact if they notice a fault or have a fire safety concern.
Book Your Fire Door Inspection
We hope this guide has helped you understand how often fire doors should be inspected and why it matters. Getting it right from the start will save you time, hassle, and potentially serious legal or safety issues in the future.
You might walk past your fire doors every day without a second thought, but in an emergency, they could be the single most important feature in your building.
At JST Construction, our fully qualified, accredited team carries out thorough fire door inspections across all building types, ensuring your doors meet legal requirements and perform as they should when it matters most.
Call us today at 0151 355 9232 or fill out our online contact form and we’ll arrange your inspection promptly.