The Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) has launched a collaborative industry initiative aimed at addressing how to maintain fire safety when automating existing fire-rated doors
Across the built environment, automation is increasingly being retrofitted to manual fire-rated doors to improve accessibility, manage footfall, and support safer movement. Healthcare facilities, care settings, and public buildings commonly use automated doors to improve access for wheelchair users, while offices, education environments, and transport hubs use automation to improve people flow. In some cases, automation may also support evacuation strategies by improving egress during emergencies.
However, in a recent announcement, ADSA has highlighted that converting a manual fire door into an automated system is not always straightforward. Installing operators, sensors, or routing cables through a door leaf can alter the construction of the door and, without careful consideration, may affect its performance as a fire-resisting system.
In response, ADSA has brought together a cross-industry steering group to develop clearer, evidence-based guidance on safe retrofit automation. The group includes leading manufacturers Record UK, dormakaba, and GEZE UK, alongside industry bodies, the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers and the British Woodworking Federation.
“Many of the questions we receive now relate to automating existing fire doors,” said Darren Hyde, Technical and Training Manager at ADSA. “When you retrofit automation – whether that’s installing operators, sensors or routing cables through the door leaf – you’re potentially changing the construction of the door. What we want to do as an industry is understand exactly how those modifications affect fire performance.”
While new-build projects benefit from fully specified and tested door systems, ADSA notes that retrofit environments are far less predictable. “In the new-build market, everything is far more controlled,” Hyde added. “Manufacturers can specify the exact door, operator and components and provide test evidence showing the system will meet its fire rating if installed correctly. In retrofit situations, that level of certainty doesn’t always exist. We want to close that gap in understanding.”
Central to the initiative is a programme of controlled fire testing designed to replicate common retrofit scenarios. The steering group will initially focus on timber fire-rated doors, reflecting the most common retrofit situation. Testing will examine typical modifications such as drilling holes for cabling or replacing existing hardware, and assess how these changes influence fire performance.
“Once we understand what happens in those conditions, we can begin to provide meaningful guidance,” Darren explained. “It allows us to move beyond assumption and base advice on real testing and observed outcomes.”
Findings from the programme will inform new guidance for engineers, specifiers, and building owners, which is expected to be published later this year. Rather than prescribing a single solution, the guidance will help professionals assess the impact of common modifications and apply practical measures, including appropriate cable routing, fire-stopping and installation methods, to help maintain door integrity.
Importantly, ADSA stresses that the initiative is not intended to discourage automation or force unnecessary door replacement. With the right technical insight and careful installation practices, many existing fire-rated doors can be adapted safely and responsibly.
“We’re not saying that fire doors shouldn’t be automated,” Hyde said. “Automation plays an important role in improving accessibility and usability in buildings. What we want to ensure is that when those modifications are made, they’re done with a clear understanding of how they affect the door’s fire performance.”
By bringing together industry expertise, test evidence, and practical guidance, ADSA and its partners aim to close the knowledge gap around retrofit automation and support safer, more informed decision-making across the built environment.