Do Fire Doors Need To Be Certified?
Yes, fire doors do need to be certified to satisfy the criteria of both the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and building regulations. This is because they are integral to slowing the spread of a fire, allowing people the time to evacuate safely from commercial premises or a building in multiple occupancy.
The recent tragedy of Grenfell Tower highlights just how important it is for buildings that require fire doors to have performance-tested doors installed. Legally, you should ensure that any fire doors you have installed come with evidence of this performance. To help you understand the topic of certification better, we’ve created our short guide to fire door compliance.
What certification do fire doors need?
To make sure that your fire doors can stand up to and resist fire for a long enough period of time, third-party certification is required. This is where the design, performance and manufacture of the door are all approved by a third party who will test and retest the doors and frame sets.
To be considered a fire door, it must provide at least 30 minutes of resistance. This is what the FD30 mark indicates. This can be improved to provide FD60, FD90 and FD120 marks — all relating to how many minutes the door can withstand a fire.
Fire doors should be tested and certified to British Standard BS 476 or European Standard EN 1634, with the most prominent third-party certification bodies including the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) and the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF).
How do I know if my fire door is compliant?
There are several ways you can check whether your fire doors are compliant. The first thing you can do is enquire with any potential supplier and installer about whether their doors meet the required legal standards. If you want to check your existing doors, look out for the following on the labels of the doors themselves:
- Third-party certification logo (BWF, for example)
- A fire rating code (FD30, for example)
- The manufacturer name
This information label can sometimes be found on the top of the door or along the side. They are not immediately obvious unless you look for them, but all fire doors should have them.
Who can install fire doors?
Having the right, certified fire doors is just one-half of your responsibility as the owner or manager of a building. You also need a fire door installation company with the knowledge, experience and accreditation to fit those doors in line with BS 8214. This is the standard that outlines how certified fire doors and associated components should be installed to ensure that they can provide the required protection in an emergency.
While you technically don’t need to be a qualified carpenter to install a fire door, the legal requirements involved to prove that the door and its installation meet the correct levels will almost certainly mean you need a professional.
At Surrey Tech Services Ltd, we’re a reputable and reliable installer of fire doors for London and the Home Counties — including Maidenhead, Guildford and Slough. We provide a range of certified fire doors for your premises, whether you need all the internal fire doors in your building replaced or just one new door. Through our services – including fire door inspections – you can have peace of mind knowing that you’re meeting your legal obligations and that you’re doing all that you can to protect the people within your building.
Call today to discuss the fire doors in your property.