Sept 21st – 27th was Fire Door Safety Week – an annual prod to alert landlords, business owners, employers and hoteliers to the importance of ensuring their fire safety systems are fit for purpose.
Created by the Fire Door Alliance, the week was launched in 2013 with the aim of raising awareness of the important role fire safety doors play in saving lives.
Its focus is on ensuring that they are fully compliant and installed and maintained correctly – whether in hospitals and care homes, schools and universities, high rise blocks of flats, public buildings, hotels or social housing.
Property owners are legally responsible for the fire safety of their staff, tenants and customers under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) in England and Wales, the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.
Failure to fulfil their responsibilities, which include ensuring correct installation and maintenance of fire doors, can lead to criminal prosecution.
The FDSW website offers plenty of advice to property owners on how to ensure their doors tick all the safety and compliance boxes, including a five-step check which covers certification, gap sizes, seals, hinges and closeability.
It offers best practice guides and explains how to ensure only the best quality doors are fitted.
It also suggests that, while fire risk assessments can be carried out by the property owners, appointing a professional could be beneficial, particularly in complex or large buildings.
CDS has more than 30 years’ experience of providing such assessments to an extensive client base including universities, schools, hospitals, care homes, councils, police authorities, social housing providers, hotel chains, warehouses, distribution centres, factories and airports.
For more information on ensuring fire door safety compliance as part of a wider fire risk assessment contact CDS at 0116 275 0177 or via enquiries@cdsys.co.uk
