Understanding Fire Doors: Essential safety information for residents

The following information has been provided by Harmony Fire a leading fire safety specialist committed to ensuring the safety of residential buildings and their occupants.

Harmony Fire works closely with us to enhance our fire safety systems. This guide, "Understanding fire doors: Essential safety information for residents," explains the vital role of fire doors in residential fire protection. It outlines their purpose, how they function, and the responsibilities residents hold in maintaining these critical safety features.

Understanding fire doors: Essential safety information for residents

Fire doors play a vital role in keeping you and your family safe in the event of a fire. Understanding their purpose and importance is crucial. Here’s everything you need to know about fire doors as a resident and why they are a key component of fire safety in residential buildings.

What are fire doors?

Fire doors are specialized doors designed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke within a building, protecting escape routes and buying time for evacuation. They are typically made from fire-resistant materials and are tested to withstand fire for a specified duration, usually 30 to 60 minutes, depending on their rating. Fire doors are often equipped with intumescent seals that expand in the heat, sealing gaps to block smoke and flames.

Why are fire doors important?

1. Life-saving protection: Fire doors can hold back fire and smoke for a specific period, typically 30 to 60 minutes, depending on their rating. This extra time allows residents to exit the building safely or await rescue.
2. Minimise fire spread: By containing fire to specific parts of a building, fire doors reduce the speed at which a fire spreads. This helps prevent widespread damage and reduces the chances of it affecting other residents.
3. Facilitate safe evacuation: Fire doors help maintain the integrity of escape routes, such as corridors and staircases, which are essential for safely evacuating a building during a fire.
4. Protect firefighters: Firefighters rely on fire doors to help control and extinguish the fire more effectively by containing it within one area.

How do fire doors work?

Fire doors work by preventing the spread of fire and smoke from one room or compartment to another. Fire doors don’t extinguish the fire but contain it for a given amount of time, allowing residents more time to escape to safety. Adding the correct fire door hardware ensures compliance with fire safety regulations.

To function correctly, fire doors need to remain closed. Many fire doors are fitted with automatic closing devices, ensuring they shut tightly after use. It is crucial that these doors are never propped open with wedges or other objects, as this compromises their ability to contain fire.

Your responsibilities as a resident

 As a resident, you play an essential role in ensuring the effectiveness of fire doors.

Here are some key responsibilities:

1. Do not tamper with fire doors: Never remove or damage the fire-resistant seals, automatic closers, or other fire door components. Likewise, don’t fit anything to your door that requires drilling into or through the door leaf or frame, such as a cat flap, as this could impact how well your door protects you in the event of a fire.
2. Report any damage: If you notice a fire door that’s been damaged, is not closing properly, or looks worn out, report it immediately to your landlord, property manager, or building maintenance team.
3. Keep fire doors closed: Fire doors are only effective when they are closed. Never prop them open, especially in corridors and stairwells. 

Remember...

Fire doors are a critical part of any building’s fire safety system. By understanding how they work and your responsibilities as a resident, you can help protect yourself, your family, and others in the building.

Always treat fire doors with care, promptly report any problems, and ensure they are well-maintained. In the event of an emergency, these doors could be the key to saving lives!

If you have any questions about your fire door, please feel free to contact us at info@harmonyfire.com or speak to your Cornwall Housing representative.