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Fire Door Responsibility

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, building operators in England and Wales should appoint a ‘Responsible Person’ to manage all fire safety precautions including fire doors. This person might be the employer, the managing agent or owner or another appointed person. Their legal responsibilities include a duty to reduce the risk of fire spreading within the premises. Fire doors play an important part in reducing this risk in many buildings.

What do I need?

The fire doors required in your building(s) will be determined by the fire risk assessment. The ‘Responsible Person’ should ensure an up to date fire risk assessment has been carried out. Fire risk assessments are an in-depth review of the premises. They highlight any fire risks and make recommendations to reduce or eliminate these risks. This includes where fire doors should be used and what rating they should be.

Fire doors are used as part of a building’s passive fire protection system. They are designed to contain fire in one part of the building to limit damage and protect escape routes so everyone can leave the building safely. Fire doors are normally required in all doorways leading to escape routes. They are also usually required for rooms that have a higher risk of a fire starting (for example, IT server rooms, boiler rooms or rooms containing flammable liquids).

What are the regulations?

The fire door regulations vary depending on where you live in the UK. They are governed by a different set of regulations depending on whether it is a new building/extension, or an existing building.

 

Commercial/public buildings

New buildings or change of use

New buildings are governed by standards set out in the Building Regulations Approved Documents. These are designed to ensure that all new buildings in the UK meet minimum standards of construction. Fire doors are necessary in all commercial or public buildings and the requirements are set out in these links

England and Wales - Approved Document B 

Scotland – Technical Handbooks

Northern Ireland – Technical Booklets

 

Existing buildings

In existing buildings, the Regulatory Reform (Fire safety) Order 2005 applies and compliance is mandatory. The Order applies to all properties except inside private dwellings. It covers public buildings, places of employment, entertainment and leisure as well as vehicles, aircraft, hovercrafts, tents or other moveable structures. Article 17 of the Order places an obligation on the "Responsible Person" to ensure fire doors are "subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair". As the employer, building operator, building owner or designated agent has a legal duty to maintain fire doors in efficient working order, regular inspection will be necessary.

The RRFSO 2005 applies to:

• All business premises (even if it is part of a domestic dwelling)

• Premises used for charity or voluntary work

• Public buildings such as schools, hospitals, leisure centres, transport stations, entertainment venues

• Accommodation for paying guests such as self-catering units, camp or caravan sites and B&Bs

• Communal areas of HMOs, blocks of flats and maisonettes.

 

Domestic properties

In many homes in the UK fire doors are not a legal requirement, however there are some exceptions. Building regulation details where fire doors should be used:

• Any new build or home renovation that has three or more floors must have fire doors fitted to every habitable room that leads from a stairwell. This applies to loft conversions where an extra floor has been added to a two-storey home.

• Any door leading from your home into an integral garage must be a fire door. In most domestic situations, fire doors with a 30 minute fire rating are sufficient.

 

Flats and HMOs: Your block of flats should have a fire risk assessment carried out as the Regulatory Reform (Fire safety) Order 2005 applies to communal areas in existing HMOs, blocks of flats and maisonettes. 

Building regulations Approved Document B2 sets out the standards for new building

Fire door maintenance

According to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, fire doors must be "subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair".