Educating residents on the importance of fire door regulations for flats

Friday 1st December 2023

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which was implemented on 23^rd January 2023 sets out new fire door responsibilities for Responsible Persons of multi-occupied residential buildings. Part of these new responsibilities involves inspecting flat entrance doors and educating residents about the importance of fire doors. We explore these new fire door regulations for flats and give guidance about implementation and what is expected from the Responsible Person.

What are the new fire door regulations for flats?

From January 2023, the following fire door regulations apply to any residential building with more than 2 dwellings:

• Residents should be provided with information about the importance of fire doors to ensure that they are being used correctly. Distributing our free Residents Fire Door Fact Sheet among your tenants could save lives.
• Regularly inspect all fire doors (as specified by your fire risk assessment) and record evidence of the inspections. This free fire door inspection checklist can be downloaded and used as a template to record inspections. Using a Fire Door Gap Gauge will help to effectively measure gaps around the sides and top of fire doors to ensure they are within the required limits.

These additional regulations apply to buildings over 11 metres in height:

• Every 3 months, the Responsible Person must check all fire doors in communal areas of the building.
• Annually, the Responsible Person should make ‘best endeavour’ checks on every flat entrance door within the building.

What is a ‘best endeavour’ check for flat entrance doors?

Under these new fire door regulations, checks on flat entrance doors must be carried out once a year. The Responsible Person must therefore make a ‘best endeavour’ to gain consent from the tenant to enter the property. This is essential for Responsible Persons to be able to carry out their legal duty to check fire doors.

Permission to access flats must be sought in advance of the intended inspection, with at least 24 hours’ notice. This should be requested multiple times. If residents are unresponsive, supplement with educational material on the importance of fire doors and new legislation to encourage cooperation. Make contact in writing, either via email or dated written letter, to keep a record of ‘best endeavour’ attempts to inspect flat front doors.

The importance of fire doors in flats

Fire doors save lives: Flats that open out into communal areas are legally required to have FD30 ratings. This means that they can withstand fire for at least 30 minutes. If a fire starts in one flat, the fire door will stop flames and smoke from spreading to communal areas and corridors. This provides enough time to for residents to escape the building safely. The responsible person has a legal responsibility to make sure all fire doors are in good working order. They must also ensure that that fire door regulations are followed at all times in the building.

Keeping fire doors closed: A fire door can only contain a fire and smoke if it is closed. Fire doors should always be fitted with a door closer to ensure that the door automatically closes after use. If residents prop open fire doors for any reason, the door will not work. This means that the building’s safety will be put in jeopardy.

Educating residents on the importance of fire doors

Information about the importance of fire doors must be available in communal areas. Ensuring residents are aware of the importance of keeping fire doors shut can be challenging, especially if tenants change frequently. Displaying information in communal areas can encourage tenants to work together to keep the building safe. Ensure that new tenants have been made aware of fire safety procedures when they receive they keys, as it provides an opportunity to ask questions.

Are door closers required on flat doors?

Door closers are required on flat doors to ensure that they are shut when not in use. If door closers are not installed, or have been removed or deactivated, the door may be open in a fire. This will allow smoke and flames to spread throughout the building.

Residents and fire door accessibility issues

Due to their heavy construction and required door closer, fire doors may pose accessibility problems. This can affect disabled residents, those with impaired mobility, older people, or those with young children. In these circumstances, fire doors can seem impractical and a barrier to free movement. Where flat entrance doors are fire doors, tenants may try to find a solution to help them it more easily. Common misuse in this way involves doors being wedged or propped open for convenience, or fire door closers being disengaged.

Without effective fire doors in all parts of the building, everyone’s fire safety is compromised. Further to this, the Responsible Person may be liable for prosecution under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Retaining fire doors in residential blocks

There are a number of solutions available that allow fire doors in residential buildings to be held open safely in normal day-to-day use, but will close the fire door when the fire alarm sounds. In BS 7273-4: 2015 Critical (Category A) areas, such as stair wells, it is paramount that fire doors are maintained and effective at all times to slow the spread of smoke and flames throughout the building.

Fireco’s Pro Fire Door Retainer System is one example to enable fire doors to be safely and legally held open, without compromising their effectiveness in a fire, even in Category A areas. This system can be configured with any proportion of Dorgard Pro or Freeswing Pro units to suit the needs of the building, with up to 500 devices in one system. Fire door retention improves ventilation and ease of movement within a building, which reduces temptation for residents to illegally hold them open.

This wireless fire door retainer system is operated by a control hub, which is wired directly into the building’s fire alarm system. During a fire, the fire alarm is activated, and the hub signals every device in its system to release the fire doors, causing them to close. The optional InSite Site Manager cloud remote management system gives you the ability to check the system status, including the status of each individual component, from anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the fire door regulations for buildings of different heights?

The regulations vary based on building height. For all residential buildings with more than two dwellings: Residents must receive information about proper fire door usage, Regular inspections of all fire doors as specified in your fire risk assessment, Records of all inspections must be maintained. For buildings over 11 metres in height: The Responsible Person must check all communal area fire doors every three months, Annual best endeavour checks must be conducted on all flat entrance doors.

How do I conduct best endeavour checks on entrance doors to flats?

The Responsible Person must make reasonable attempts to gain access to flats: Give at least 24 hours’ notice before inspection, Make multiple contact attempts if residents are unresponsive, Provide educational materials about fire door importance, Document all communication attempts in writing, Keep records of all inspection attempts and outcomes.

Why are fire doors essential in flats?

Fire doors serve two critical purposes in flat buildings: 1) They contain fires within individual flats, preventing spread to communal areas, 2) They provide residents with safe escape routes during emergencies. A properly functioning fire door can contain fire and smoke for its rated period, giving residents valuable time to evacuate safely. For this reason, fire doors must always remain closed when not in use.

Are door closers required on doors in flats?

Yes, door closers are required on flat entrance doors that function as fire doors. These devices ensure the door automatically closes after use, maintaining fire protection. If closers are removed or disabled, the door may remain open during a fire, allowing smoke and flames to spread throughout the building.

What are fire door accessibility solutions?

The heavy construction and required closers on fire doors can create accessibility issues for: Disabled residents, People with reduced mobility, Older residents, Families with young children. These challenges sometimes lead to misuse, such as propping doors open or disabling closers. This compromises building safety and may result in prosecution under fire safety regulations. A solution to this can be to fit fire door hold open devices. These devices hold open the fire door during day-to-day operation, and close it automatically when the fire alarm sounds. For all communal areas in residential buildings, hold open devices must conform to BS 7273-4: 2015 Critical (Category A).

What fire door hold-open solutions do Safelincs provide?

Safelincs offers solutions that allow fire doors to be held open safely while ensuring they close automatically when the fire alarm activates. The Fireco Pro Fire Door Retainer System is suitable even for critical areas like stairwells, where effective fire doors are essential. This system: Allows doors to be safely held open during normal use, Automatically releases doors when fire alarms sound, Connects directly to building fire alarm systems, Can support up to 500 devices in one setup, Improves building ventilation and ease of movement, Offers remote management options.

What are fire door inspection services?

Safelincs provides: Professional fire door inspection services, Fire Door Gap Gauge for checking the gap between a fire door and its frame, Free fire door inspection checklist, Documentation systems for compliance.

Why choose Safelincs for fire door products and services?

Safelincs provide a one-stop-shop for fire doors, hardware and services. Our accredited team will support the Responsible Person to identify any compliance or performance issues, remediate the issues where possible or provide custom-made replacement fire doors. Safelincs also offers: A wide range of fire door products, including holders, closers and inspection tools, Nationwide service with a dedicated, award-winning support team, Technical expertise in fire door compliance, Commitment to quality with ISO9001 certification, 3rd party accredited services from our qualified team, Free educational resources for responsible persons and residents.

What are fire doors?

Fire doors are specially constructed doors designed to stop the spread of fire and smoke for a set period. They form an essential part of a building’s passive fire protection system.

What are the legal requirements for fire doors in flats?

Fire door legal requirements vary depending on your building type and fire risk assessment results. For residential flats, fire doors typically require an FD30 rating, providing 30 minutes of fire resistance. You must install intumescent strips and smoke seals around the door frame. Self-closing devices are also mandatory, and you must maintain gaps no larger than 4mm around the sides and top, with 8mm maximum at the bottom. They must be regularly inspected and maintained.

How often should fire doors be inspected?

In buildings over 11 metres, communal fire doors must be checked every three months and flat entrance doors annually. For all multi-occupied residential buildings, inspections should be scheduled according to the fire risk assessment. There are different rules for the frequency of fire door inspection for commercial fire doors.

What is a fire door holder?

A fire door holder is a device that allows fire doors to be safely held open during normal use but released automatically when the fire alarm sounds, ensuring the door closes.

How do fire door hold-open devices work?

An electromagnetic fire door hold-open device uses an electromagnet mounted to a wall or floor and a steel plate attached to the door. When powered, the electromagnet holds the door open by attracting the steel plate. If the fire alarm is triggered or power is cut, the magnet releases, allowing the door closer to shut the door automatically. An acoustically-activated fire door hold-open device uses a sensor to hear the sound of the building’s fire alarm. When it detects the alarm, it releases the door so the closer can shut it automatically.

What are fire door closers?

Fire door closers are mechanical devices that ensure a fire door shuts automatically after being opened. They are required on most fire doors to maintain protection.

How do I choose the right fire rated door closers?

When selecting fire-rated door closers, consider the door size and weight, frequency of use, and whether the closer needs to be visible or concealed. Safelincs can advise on the most suitable options.

What does a fire door inspection involve?

Safelincs offer different types of fire door inspection that include visual and invasive elements. We also provide a full fire door report with clear next steps.

All information correct at time of posting.