If you’re responsible for the fire safety of a building, you should be aware of the importance of fire doors. Fire doors play a vital role in slowing the spread of fire and smoke, and their proper upkeep is a key part of compliance with relevant building regulations. However, simply having fire doors is not enough; they must be maintained correctly, with accurate records kept of their condition and issues addressed promptly. This is where a fire door survey comes in. 

Despite growing awareness of the importance of regular fire door surveys, some confusion remains, namely the question “is a fire door survey a legal requirement?”. The answer is not necessarily a simple one, but understanding the rules and how fire door surveys fit into any duties you may have is key to ensuring building safety. With this in mind, we have outlined what the law says and how it may apply to you in this article.

What The Law Says About Fire Door Surveys

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 lays out the legal duties of the Responsible Person (the individual responsible for fire safety within any given building). This person must take reasonable steps to ensure that all fire safety features, including fire doors, are safe, fully operational, and sufficiently maintained.  While the law does not explicitly state that fire door surveys are required to achieve this, it does oblige the Responsible Person to keep fire doors in working order. Regular fire door surveys, carried out by somebody qualified to assess fire doors, are the best way to both prove and achieve this. 

In addition, the more recent Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have strengthened the importance of fire door surveys for compliance. This piece of legislation introduced additional obligations for multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres in height, requiring quarterly checks of communal fire doors and annual inspections of entrance doors. Without carrying out a fire door survey, it is incredibly difficult to prove these requirements are being met. 

Why Fire Door Surveys Are Important

The reason a fire door survey is so valuable is that it arms you with a report detailing each door’s compliance with legal and safety standards. This gives you the information you will need to go away and fix any issues or arrange regular maintenance and, in turn, meet your duties as the Responsible Person. 

Over time, fire doors can lose effectiveness through a combination of everyday use and improper repairs or maintenance. For example, we regularly inspect doors with unsuitable hinges, latches and locks, as well as doors which no longer fulfil their role due to misalignment or changes to the building layout which have not been taken into account in terms of compartmentalisation. These kinds of issues can have significant repercussions in the event of an emergency, yet are rarely picked up on without a comprehensive fire door survey.

Consequences Of Not Having A Fire Door Survey

Failure to carry out proper fire door inspections can lead to serious consequences, including enforcement notices and financial penalties if it is deemed that you have not met the requirements of the Fire Safety Order. In the most serious cases, the Responsible Person could also face criminal charges.

It’s also important to bear in mind the possible reputational and financial risks. If a fire did break out and it was subsequently discovered that your fire doors were not properly maintained, your insurance policy may be void and your reputation tarnished. It is also likely to be much more expensive to carry out sudden and urgent remedial works as opposed to investing steadily in ongoing fire door maintenance over time. 

The Answer

So, returning to our central question, is a fire door survey a legal requirement? The answer is technically no. However, from a compliance perspective, a fire door survey is still essential. The law expects the Responsible Person to ensure that the building’s fire doors are safe, working, and properly maintained. Confidently meeting these standards without a professional fire door survey is extremely difficult. 

If you can’t remember when your building last had a fire door survey, you question the quality of the information you currently have on your doors, or you are still wondering, ‘is a fire door survey a legal requirement’ for your building, please get in touch with us. At WGP Maintenance, we carry out professional fire door surveys across the South West and can help you act now to ensure compliance moving forward. Our fire door surveys are fully comprehensive and carried out by our BM Trada-accredited team, giving you the tools you need to make safe and sensible decisions.