Everything you need to know about fire door safety

Fire Door Safety Week is a national awareness campaign that was first launched in 2013 in response to a legacy of fire door neglect. The aim is to target the mass market by increasing public understanding of the crucial role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property.

Managed by the British Woodworking Federation, the campaign is also supported by several partners such as the London Fire Brigade, the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign and National Fire Chief’s Council.

This year Fire Door Safety Week will run from 20-26th September.

Why is it important?

Fire doors are fundamental to most buildings; they ensure that in the event of a fire it can be contained to an area or compartment. By enclosing the fire and smoke for a defined period, this enables occupants time to evacuate the building and make the fire easier to tackle.

It’s essential to highlight the key factors that ensure a fire door performs as it should. Build quality, product manufacture and maintenance can ultimately mean the difference between life and death.

From correct installation to the building occupants, it’s imperative everyone plays their part. This is why the Fire Door Safety Week campaign exists.

The most common fire door safety risks

Now we have an understanding of the importance of fire safety doors we will highlight some of the most common fire door safety risks:

• Propping it open – Leaving a fire safety door ajar poses a significant risk as should a fire break out, the door won’t be able to contain the flames, allowing the fire and smoke to spread rapidly throughout the building.
• Inadequate installation – gaps around the top and sides should be consistently less than 4mm and less than 8mm underneath the door. Gaps that are greater than this can enable flames and smoke to disperse through the cracks.
• Damage – Fire doors that have been damaged can render them ineffective, which can lead to devastating consequences.
• Incorrect signage – if a fire door isn’t correctly identified this may lead to the door not being used effectively by the occupants of the building.

Our courses

We offer an extensive portfolio of fire safety training courses to suit all requirements. Whether your organisation is in the public or private sector, our accredited courses are designed to equip delegates with a comprehensive knowledge of fire safety - including fire doors - enabling them to confidently manage fire safety within the workplace.

Delivered by our expert trainers, our in-depth courses take place, in house, at various locations across the country, or online.

Click the link below to learn more about each course:

Managing Fire Safety Course (4 day)
19 – 22 – October – Warrington
14 – 17 – December – Online

Fire Risk Assessor Course (5 day)
15 – 19 – November – London
6 – 10 – December – Online

Conversion to Fire Manager Course (5 day)
15 – 19 – November – London
6 – 10 – December – Online

In addition to the dates listed we have also now released our course dates for 2022. However, due to high demand and limited availability, we encourage booking your place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you have any questions please get in touch with our friendly team and we’ll be happy to help.