What Does A Fire Door Inspector Do?

What Does A Fire Door Inspector Do?

August 29, 2024
close up of inspector writing on clipboard

Being responsible for fire safety within a building can feel overwhelming, particularly if this is a responsibility you hold alongside additional roles. While there is no denying that Responsible Persons do have a vital responsibility on their shoulders, there is no expectation that you manage every aspect of compliance and safety yourself. In fact, working alongside appropriate professionals is key to implementing an effective passive fire protection strategy. 

When striving to meet your fire safety responsibilities, a fire door inspector is a key professional you should consult. This individual utilises their expertise to ensure that fire doors are not only compliant with fire safety regulations but also fully functional in the event of an emergency. 

Key Responsibilities Of A Fire Door Inspector

The overarching role of a fire door inspector is to conduct a fire door condition survey, comprehensively inspecting all fire doors within a building to ensure the safety of occupants and contents. The level of detail included in the work of a fire door inspector will vary on a case-by-case basis, but you should always strive to have any necessary inspection carried out by a qualified and accredited fire door inspector. This kind of professional will typically undertake the following responsibilities.

Visual Door Inspection

When completing a fire door survey, fire door inspectors will usually start with a thorough visual examination of all doors and their compartments within your building. The fire door inspector will look at the components of each door in turn, working through a fire door inspection checklist and searching for visible signs of damage, wear and tear, or any alterations that could compromise the door’s integrity and ability to work as it should. This examination will include a thorough inspection of the door and frame, looking for cracks, warping or gaps that could inversely affect its operation and allow smoke or fire to dangerously pass through in the event of an emergency.

Functional Door Inspection

While the visual condition of a door gives a good indication of its performance, a fire door inspector will do more than just a visual assessment. As part of their fire door inspection checklist, a professional should also perform functional tests to ensure that each fire door operates correctly. This includes checking that the door closes properly, that any self-closing devices work as intended, and that the door remains securely closed when needed. 

Compliance Verification

Fire doors must also comply with various fire safety regulations and any person conducting a fire door inspection should be competent to do so. It is vital that your inspection is carried out by somebody who is appropriately trained and qualified to be able to verify that each door meets these requirements. This verification will always be guided by current fire safety standards and it is also important for any responsible person to understand their own responsibilities as set out in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as some additional sector-specific regulations or recommendations may also apply. 

Accurate Reporting

After conducting a fire door survey, a fire door inspector should document their findings in a detailed report. At the very minimum, this report should detail any non-compliance issues as well as recommendations for repairs or replacements. However, it is important to note that there is a difference between a fire door condition report and a fire door survey. A good condition report will detail the faults and provide recommendations, but without accurate information such as dimensions, finish, ratings and product details of the doors and their components, it will not be possible for a competent installer to provide a cost for any remediation or replacements required.

There are many capable surveyors who understand what makes a fire door compliant but having a detailed knowledge of how to repair or replace a non-compliant fire door is a very different skill. It is therefore worth considering what you wish to achieve from your survey and clarifying the level of detail you can expect from the report before appointing somebody to conduct your survey. This information will be important to clarify so you can avoid additional costs for a separate door survey and to ensure you have complete transparency about your next steps.

Remedial & Maintenance Work Advice

Should the fire door inspector determine that a fire door is non-compliant or defective, they can also provide recommendations for suitable repairs or the replacement of fire doors if necessary. This information can then be used to guide the process of remediating the fire doors to ensure your building is brought back to a compliant state of repair in the most efficient way possible. It is not always possible to complete this process in one go, so consideration towards the higher-risk resolutions along with budget availability in a pragmatic approach is essential.

Upon completion of the remedial repairs, it is vital that a regular schedule for ongoing fire door maintenance is put into place to ensure your fire doors remain in a compliant state of repair. Like an MOT for a car, this provides you with the confidence that your building will function as expected in the case of an emergency. 

Unlike many fire door maintenance companies, the team at WGP Maintenance can fulfil each and every one of the duties of a fire door inspector. We are able to provide you with a fully comprehensive fire door survey report which not only breaks down the results of the inspection of each fire door but also includes a door-by-door cost breakdown of subsequent work should you also choose to use us for the project delivery. 

For over a decade, we have been assessing the needs of fire doors within the buildings of our clients. Our experience in the remediation, installation and maintenance of fire doors means the quality of the reports we provide is well informed as experts in the entire process. 

The landscape within this specialist sector has also changed significantly in this same timeframe and our pedigree offers further confidence to our clients that the reports, advice and guidance we offer them are of the highest quality all the way through from survey to maintenance. 

How Often Should Fire Doors Be Inspected?

There is no set rule when it comes to how often the services of a fire door inspector should be enlisted. However, it is advisable to conduct fire door inspections on a regular basis to ensure that your fire doors remain in good working order. 

As a minimum, inspections should be conducted on an annual basis but across many sectors a 6-month inspection frequency is common and consideration should always be given to the usage of the fire doors in question. Buildings of high occupancy like hospitals, hotels and offices are prone to higher levels of wear and tear so more frequent inspections may be necessary. 

In between visits from your chosen fire door inspector, it’s always worthwhile to inspect fire doors yourself on a less formal basis. Keep an eye on their condition, ensure they close fully and ensure they aren’t prevented from operating effectively by educating occupants of the building not to wedge them open. If you notice anything that doesn’t look right, consult a professional. This ongoing prioritisation of care and attention will ensure that you can catch and rectify any issues before they amount to serious damage and therefore ensure that your building remains safe at all times.

If you are due a fire door inspection or want to ensure that your next fire door survey is conducted by a professional you can trust, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at WGP. Our expert and BM Trada-accredited team have vast experience delivering a high-quality fire door service and can conduct comprehensive fire door inspections for buildings across all sectors. 

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