What is a fire door inspection survey?
Fire resisting doorsets are a vital passive fire protection measure and will be found in almost all buildings, providing protection to escape routes and areas of high fire risk for example. They are often subject to damage due to misuse or general wear and tear and should undergo regular inspection to ensure they continue to function properly. Fire door inspections allow for remedial work to be identified and subsequently implemented to ensure the spread of fire can be minimised and provide building occupants with additional time to escape. A fire door inspection scheme should include in-house visual inspections and, where necessary, full surveys by a competent contractor.
The objective of fire resisting doorsets is to assist in preventing the spread of smoke and flames in the event of a building fire. Fire resisting compartmentation is used alongside doorsets to subdivide the building. In most buildings, this fire protection is a legal obligation under both Building Regulations and to meet the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales (and similar legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland). It can protect escape routes, high-risk or high-value areas, and prevent extensive losses.
The Responsible Person should ensure that a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment has been undertaken and this will typically involve a review of the condition of existing fire doorsets. However, the scope of a fire risk assessment will not extensively cover all fire doors and frames. Sampling can indicate the presence of significant issues, such as incorrectly fitting doors, missing features (such as intumescent seals, if required) and obvious signs of damage, but a more extensive door inspection survey may be required.
How can the FPA help?
Our fire door inspectors conduct comprehensive, non-destructive fire door surveys and deliver detailed reports on the condition of the entire doorset.
What is included?
A non-destructive and non-intrusive survey comprising:
- a comprehensive visual inspection of each fire resisting doorset including:
- the fire resisting qualities of the fire door hinges and all door hardware
- the condition, fitting, and operation of the hinges and hardware
- a review of fire door signage
- a check of the condition and operation of any hold open devices
- a check of the fire door closing devices and their ability to effectively close the doorsets
- a check for relevant markings, for example from the British Woodworking Federation to identify the fire rating of the doorset
- an inspection of the locks and latches to ensure they are operational
- an inspection of any vision panels, glazing, and review of their suitability
- an inspection of the cold smoke seals
- an inspection of the intumescent strips
- an assessment on the fire resisting qualities of the doorset, including its thickness
- a review of the gaps between the leaf and frame – including the threshold for suitability
- a visual inspection of the fire door frame
- a visual inspection of the door leaf
- a review of the materials used in the installation of the doorset
- a clear action plan which outlines the locations of defects, photographic evidence, and suggested remedial actions.
Fire door inspection survey technology
We have significantly developed the technology we use to carry out fire door inspection surveys to improve the outputs for our customers. Using a tablet device, our software application enables our fire door inspectors to upload your building floor plans.
The plans are used to highlight the location of each fire door which are classified as non-compliant, nominal, or compliant. Each door is given a unique ID number on the floor plan which corresponds with the digital survey report. A RAG rating is also included to enable you to identify which doorsets should be prioritised for remedial action.
This technology enables us to produce a clear, concise, comprehensive digital report which links any identified issues to the location on your building floor plans. Annotated drawings are provided in AutoCAD and pdf formats and the report is produced in a useable format so you can filter, extract, and import to your own systems if required.
Fire door inspection survey outputs
The report will outline the existing condition and adequacy of the fire doorsets, and where necessary, recommend improvements that should be undertaken in order to make your buildings compliant with statutory requirements and best practice guidance, or to meet a specific business resilience objective.
Our fire door inspection survey outputs comprise:
- annotated plans of each floor of your building showing the location of each fire door
- details of each non-compliant, nominal, and compliant fire door identified
- a thorough review of all elements of each fire door and remedial actions
- any obvious fire hazards or risks
- rough order costs for remediation of each door (if required).
This survey can be undertaken as an independent service or in conjunction with a Compartmentation Survey.
Download our fire advisory services brochure.