The five-step fire door check

A fire door only works when it is closed and in good order. These five checks take a couple of minutes per door.

Fire doors hold back fire and smoke so people can get out and firefighters can get in. Most are rated to resist fire for 30 or 60 minutes, but only if every part of the door set is working.

The five steps

1. Check for certification. Look for a label or plug on the top edge, or sometimes the side, showing it is a certified fire door. No label? Report it.
2. Check the gaps. With the door closed, the gaps around the top and sides should be consistently under 4mm. A £1 coin is about 3mm thick. The gap under the door can be larger, often up to about 8mm; if you can see light under it, it is probably too big.
3. Check the seals. Intumescent seals around the door or frame expand in heat to block fire and smoke. They must be present, intact and not painted over.
4. Check the hinges. There should be three or more, all firmly fixed, with no missing or broken screws.
5. Check it closes. Open the door halfway and let go. It should close firmly onto the latch on its own, without sticking on the floor or frame.

Source: the Fire Door Safety Week five-step check.

What I find most often

• Doors wedged or propped open
• Self-closers removed, disconnected or too weak to latch the door
• Seals missing or painted over
• Gaps that have grown as doors warp or are planed down
• Ordinary doors fitted as replacements for fire doors

When checks are a legal duty

In blocks of flats over 11 metres, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require quarterly checks of communal fire doors and annual checks of flat entrance doors. See fire safety in flats and HMOs.

When you need a fire door inspector

A fire risk assessment includes a visual check of fire doors and flags those that need attention. For a full door-by-door survey or certification, use a certified fire door inspector. I hold a Diploma in Fire Doors with FDIS, but I am not a fire door inspector. Once repairs are done, a remedial works report can confirm the work matches the recommendations.

Print-and-keep checklist

• Certification label or plug present
• Side and top gaps under 4mm all round
• Gap under the door not showing light
• Intumescent seals intact and unpainted
• Three or more hinges, all screws in place
• Closes firmly onto the latch from halfway open
• Not wedged, propped or blocked