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Where Are Fire Doors Required in Commercial Buildings?
October 6th, 2022
Last updated: June 9th, 2023
If you own or run a business operating from a commercial premises in the UK then you have a legal responsibility to know your duties when it comes to fire protection and regulations.
In this guide, we are going to explain where fire doors are required in commercial premises to help you to ensure you know your responsibilities.
Crucially, it is important that you show that you have considered your responsibilities and created a guideline for your business in the form of a fire risk assessment. This will help to inform the exact placement of the fire doors as well as all of the other considerations when it comes to protecting the people who are using the commercial premises whether that means customers or employees.
Fire Responsibility
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is a crucial part of UK law that you should at least be aware of. A lot of people who run these buildings work with facilities management companies to ensure that they stay legally compliant with their fire responsibilities.
The law says that a “Responsible Person” should be appointed in commercial buildings that helps to manage all of the fire precautions, and that includes the fire doors. The status of what constitutes a responsible person is left a little vague, but this can be the employer, a senior employee, or even a managing agent.
Fire doors are legally essential if you run a commercial building.
What is a Fire Door?
A fire door, or fire-rated door, is made to withstand fire and hold out for longer than a standard door in the event of a fire. They must include a closing device and a latch and hardware that has been tested to fire conditions, plus a fail-safe or fail-secure mechanism.
Fire doors have certain standards that dictate their use both for entry points and other points around the building, and their primary purpose is to help to prevent fire from spreading throughout the building, meaning that fire can be isolated and therefore dealt with more efficiently.
Where Are Fire Doors Required in Commercial Buildings?
Because every building has its own different makeup, there is no simple formula for this, and it is important to have the building professionally assessed, and then have your fire doors professionally fitted.
In commercial premises the guidance around escaping the building in the event of a fire, and a professional will consider something called a “compartmentation line” which outlines the access points and escape routes of the building.
Put in a very generic way, fire doors are needed wherever people move through your building, and a fire professional will consider compartmentation zones, and how certain areas can be sectioned off by using passive fire protection.
Each of these “compartmentation lines” will be considered in line with the protection offered including the fire protection of the walls.
Fire protection is not something that you should attempt to take on yourself without the help of trained professionals. The Regulatory Reform (Fire safety) Order: 2005 has a number of different regulations and laws regarding the building, and if you are found to be in contravention of these you could face legal action. It is best to get a fire risk assessment carried out, and seek advice on keeping your own specific building within the law.
Summary – Where To Put Fire Doors
In commercial buildings, the regulations are left pretty vague. While this is somebody’s responsibility, it is crucial that you seek advice, especially if nobody working within the business is familiar with UK fire door regulations.
The system is based on compartmentalising your building, and ensuring there is an escape route where fire can be held at bay for longer periods of time. This is different for each and every building.
At Robinsons Facilities Services, we offer fire system maintenance services to help you keep your workplace safe. We can work with you to advise on your requirements when it comes to fire doors, and design a maintenance schedule suitable to keep your Yorkshire-based business safe in the event of a fire.
Working across Yorkshire, we cover North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire and offer a fast, efficient response time to all breakdowns and repairs. Contact us today for all planned, reactive maintenance or emergency call out. Call 01423 226578 or get in touch to see how Robinsons Facilities Services can help
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