Why are Fire Doors So Important?

Why are Fire Doors so Important?

Most of us are only made aware of the danger of fire from headline disasters and yet, in the year ending March 2022, fire response teams attended 152,608 fires in the UK (a 1% increase compared with the previous year). There were 272 fire-related fatalities in the year ending March 2022 compared with 237 in the previous year. 

The average total response time to primary fires was 8 minutes and 50 seconds: an increase of 15 seconds since the previous. The average total response time to secondary fires was 9 minutes and 13 seconds.

Fire doors play a fundamental role in these scenarios and are rigorously constructed and tested to British Standards BS 476: Part 22 or BS EN 1634-1 to ensure they remain fire resistant for a minimum of 30 minutes (FD30) or 60 minutes (FD60) – holding out long enough to cover response times and evacuation. Fire door hardware is also meticulously designed to comply with UK Construction Products Regulations and is tested under BS EN 1154, BS EN 1155 and BS EN 1634 standards and CE marked. After all, without functioning hardware, a fire door is rendered useless.

However, danger commonly lies where fire door safety is misunderstood. Especially when you consider that last year alone, for local authorities, a staggering 65% of 26,318 planned fire door maintenance and replacement phases did not progress as scheduled – leaving doors neglected and buildings vulnerable.

Sourced from: National statistics - Fire and rescue incident statistics: England, year ending March 2022 & The British Woodworking Federation Group.

Closing the Gap

It’s crucial to understand the factors that ensure a fire door performs as intended – product manufacture, quality, installation and maintenance all play a part. Their correct specification, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants, as can their use. Propping a fire door open means that they won’t perform as they should in the event of a fire.

Everyone plays their part in ensuring a fire door performs as it should, from the manufacturer through to the building users, and this is why the annual Fire Door Safety Week campaign exists.

We know that security and safety are high on the agenda for homeowners and renters however,  fire safety is considered less of a priority. In fact, people are six times more likely to report a heating system issue than a fire door one, and people are twice as likely to report a toilet not flushing or no hot water than a fire door issue. Fire Door Safety Week aims to raise the awareness of the critical role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property in the unfortunate event of a fire. Make Time to Save Lives.