Fire Door Inspections in Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings often have dozens or even hundreds of fire doors. Managing their inspection and maintenance requires a systematic approach. Here is how to get it right.

The Scale of the Challenge

A typical office building, hotel, school or hospital can have anywhere from 20 to 500 fire doors. Each one is a critical component of the building's fire safety strategy. Managing the inspection, maintenance and replacement of this many doors requires a structured approach that goes beyond ad-hoc checks.

Creating a Fire Door Register

The starting point is to create a comprehensive register of every fire door in the building. Each door should be given a unique reference number (which can be physically labelled on the door) and recorded with its location, rating (FD30, FD60 etc.), manufacturer and date of installation (if known), date of last inspection, condition/status, and any planned remedial actions.

Inspection Planning

For large buildings, it may be practical to inspect doors on a rolling programme rather than all at once. This spreads the cost and disruption. The programme should ensure that all doors are inspected within the timeframes required by regulations and your fire risk assessment.

Integrating with Fire Risk Assessments

Fire door inspections should be coordinated with your fire risk assessment. The fire risk assessor will identify which doors are critical to the building's fire strategy, and the fire door inspector can then focus particular attention on these doors. The two assessments complement each other and together provide a comprehensive picture of the building's fire safety status.

Budgeting for Remedial Work

It is rare for a commercial building to have no fire door defects at all. Budget for remedial work as part of your annual building maintenance spend. Common remedial items include replacing worn self-closing devices, replacing damaged seals, adjusting or replacing doors that have dropped on their hinges, and fitting replacement glazing or hardware. Addressing issues promptly is cheaper than emergency replacements and, more importantly, keeps occupants safe.