Fire Door Inspection Checklist

Fire Door Inspection Checklist

Fire Door Inspection Checklist

There is a group of products and activities that are essential in protecting your building and occupants from fire. To name a couple, fire extinguishers, fire compartmentation, fire drills, fire risk assessments and of course fire doors.

Each one of these has its own list of responsibilities and jobs that need doing in order to maintain them, inspect or ensure they’re in good working order. After all, when fire is involved, you simply cannot take any chances and you need to keep on top of it all.

This blog will specifically look at fire doors and the inspection checklist that we think everyone should go through when they’re regularly looking at the general condition of the doors. 

If you’d like to know more about how we can help you with fire door installation or servicing, please get in touch at 0151 355 9232.

Key points covered in regards to your fire door inspection checklist include;-

  • Labels and first glances
  • Fire door hinges
  • Fire door seals
  • Fire door(s)
  • Fire door frame
  • The threshold
  • Fire door closers
  • Fire door glass

Labels & First Glances

The more you perform fire door checks, the more you will begin to see the instant signs of damage, wear and tear and missing elements. You still of course need to look at and tick off everything on the checklist but if you sense something isn’t right from first glance, then you’re probably right when you investigate further.

You also need to look whether your door has a BWF-Certificate label on the top edge to certify that it’s a functional fire door. Showing that your fire door is certified is very important so be sure that each door has the correct labels.

Fire Door Hinges

Hinges, of course, are very important because they help doors open, close and some fire doors have specialist hinges that require extra checks. When you take a look at the condition of your hinges, you are looking for scratches, dents, loose screws, oil spillage or obvious signs of damage. If you see anything strange or damaged then you need to give a specialist team, such as us, a call. We have a repair service and would be happy to come and sort it out for you.

Seals Around The Door

Next thing to have a look through is the seals around the door. They shouldn’t have any damage around the outside and should not be painted over either. It’s super important to make sure the seals are intact because they play such an important role in keeping smoke etcetera out. If you’re in doubt, make sure to give JST Construction a call!

The Fire Door(s)

So here, we are referring to the door leaf, or the actual door panel itself. There cannot be any dents, scratches, rotting, chips or holes in the fire door. The door should be firmly in place, against the doorstop and flush with the frame in order to be considered perfectly positioned too. 

The Frame

A frame is built to be sturdy and provide support to the rest of the door. It must be firmly attached to the wall and have no signs of damage too. If there is anything wrong with the frame, we urge you to get in touch with us immediately because you cannot take something like that to chance. 

The Threshold

The threshold is the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor which allows the door to swing open and close freely. The usual gap is around 8-10mm so you need to make sure nothing is obstructing this gap and that there is no damage that enlarges the gap further. You may also have door seals that will need to be visually inspected too. 

Fire Door Closers

A closer will ensure that the fire door returns back to a closed position after every use. This is of course very important because you need to have the door shut in order to keep a potential fire out. The time it will take for the fire door closer to function is usually between five and twenty seconds. When you’re inspecting a fire door closer, you need to make sure it’s attached to the wall and door property. You need to look for oil or liquid spillages and you need to look for signs of general damage or wear and tear. 

Fire Door Glass

If your fire door has any glass or glazing in it then you need to make sure there are no chips or cracks in it. You can also see that the seals are not damaged to ensure it will function correctly and properly. If you do experience any issues with your glazing then please reach out to us as soon as possible.

Contact JST Construction

We hope this blog has been useful in providing you with a small checklist of things to do when inspecting your fire doors. There are plenty of things to look for but when you break it down into a legitimate list, it makes it more manageable.

You have a responsibility as a building owner to ensure everyone who walks through your doors is safe from fire. If you’d like a professional opinion on your fire door safety and condition then we’d be delighted to help.

Simply get in touch with our by calling us on 0151 355 9232, or use the contact form on our website and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.