Fire doors are critical to fire safety compliance. In an emergency, they hold back flames and smoke, protecting escape routes for occupants. This is especially important for commercial buildings, where people typically have to travel further to exit a building.
This guide covers fire door regulations in commercial buildings so you can be sure fire doors on your premises are safe and compliant.
Key Takeaways
- Fire doors protect lives and property by containing fire and smoke to allow for safe evacuation from commercial buildings.
- Buildings under construction must comply with the Building Regulations 2010 when selecting and installing fire doors.
- Fire doors in occupied buildings must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- Fire doors must meet appropriate fire resistance ratings and be installed with the correct hardware to function in emergencies.
- Regular inspections of fire doors in occupied buildings are critical for ensuring compliance with fire safety standards.
Which Buildings This Guide Covers
Commercial buildings are spaces used for business activities. Examples include:
- Offices
- Retail stores and shopping centres
- Warehouses
- Hotels
- Restaurants and cafes
- Factories and industrial buildings
- Hospitals and care facilities
These buildings are often larger and have higher occupancy levels, so they need more complex fire protection systems to ensure everyone’s safety and safe evacuation.
Mixed-Use Buildings
Mixed-use buildings combine commercial and residential spaces. These buildings can house offices, shops or restaurants on the lower floors and flats or other living spaces above. Fire door regulations are stricter for residential areas, particularly when it comes to inspections.
In residential buildings over 11 metres tall, fire doors must be checked more frequently. Current regulations require quarterly checks on all fire doors in common areas and annual checks on flat entrance doors to ensure they meet fire safety standards.
Why Fire Doors are Needed
Fire doors are essential for protecting lives and property in the event of a fire. They help contain fire and smoke, slowing its spread and giving people more time to escape safely. In commercial buildings, where the distance to exits can be longer, fire doors are especially important in keeping evacuation routes clear.
Fire doors also play a critical role in assisting emergency services. By holding back fire and smoke, they create safer conditions for firefighters to enter the building and take control of the situation.
Fire Door Regulations in Commercial Buildings
Fire door regulations in commercial buildings are different depending on whether a building is under construction or already in use:
Buildings Under Construction: Fire doors must be installed following Approved Document B of the Building Regulations 2010.
Existing Buildings: Fire doors in occupied buildings are subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which contains essential fire safety regulations for commercial buildings in England and Wales.
Buildings Under Construction
The Building Regulations cover all building work, including new constructions, renovations and major alterations.
Whether you’re constructing a new commercial building or making changes to an existing one, fire doors must be selected and installed according to Approved Document B of the Building Regulations.
Selecting Fire Doors
Fire doors must meet specific fire resistance levels, measured in minutes. The typical classifications for commercial buildings are FD30 (fire resistant for 30 minutes) and FD60 (fire resistant for 60 minutes).
The ratings needed for your building depend on its size and risk profile:
- FD60 is standard in buildings without sprinkler systems
- FD30 is suitable for buildings with sprinkler systems
Fire doors must comply with testing standards such as BS 476 Part 22 or BS EN 1634-1, which ensure that doors are tested to withstand fire for the specified time.
Installing Fire Doors
Proper installation of fire doors is critical to their effectiveness. To function effectively, all parts of the fire door system, including frames and seals, must meet the same fire resistance standard.
Fire doors must also be fitted with intumescent seals that expand when exposed to heat, helping to contain the fire and prevent smoke from spreading.
Additionally, fire doors should be clearly marked with appropriate signage, such as “Fire door keep shut.” These signs discourage occupants from blocking fire doors or propping them open, two actions that render fire doors utterly ineffective in an emergency.
Placing Fire Doors
Fire doors are needed to protect evacuation routes, including corridors, stairwells and between sections in larger buildings.
This placement helps compartmentation – the process of dividing a building into separate fire-resistant sections or compartments. Each compartment must be able to contain fire and smoke to specific areas and prevent them from spreading.
Key points for placing fire doors include:
- Fire doors should be installed between rooms and escape routes to ensure safe evacuation.
- In multi-storey buildings, fire doors should be placed at stairwells and lift shafts to protect escape routes and prevent the vertical spread of fire.
- Any door leading to a fire escape stairwell must be fire-resistant and close automatically, as per Approved Document B.
Existing Buildings
Fire doors in existing commercial buildings must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO).
Under the FSO, each commercial building must have a “responsible person” accountable for fire safety. Their most important duty is to carry out a fire risk assessment for the property to identify fire risks and plan how to control them, including through the use of fire doors.
Responsible persons must also ensure that fire doors are regularly inspected and maintained in “efficient working order” under section 17 of the FSO.
Inspecting Fire Doors
Fire door inspectors must be competent, meaning they have the necessary experience, knowledge and training to do the job safely.
You can outsource inspections or manage them in-house, provided the person you’ve appointed to do the inspection has the necessary competence.
Best practice recommends that fire doors be inspected at least every six months (which is also the recommended timing for fire risk assessment reviews).
But six months is the minimum, so high-risk buildings may require more frequent checks. It’s crucial to follow the schedule outlined in your fire risk assessment, as each building’s needs differ based on its size, layout and fire risk profile.
Fire Door Inspection Training
Proper fire door maintenance and inspection are crucial for ensuring fire safety in your building. Regular inspections are necessary to identify wear, damage or faults that compromise the door’s ability to protect lives and property.
By investing in Fire Door Inspection Training, your team will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure that fire doors meet the required standards and remain compliant with fire safety regulations. This training equips them to spot potential issues early and take appropriate action, reducing the risk of non-compliance and maintaining fire safety on your premises.
About the author(s)
Jonathan Goby