With the latest figures showing that three-quarters of fire doors inspected in the UK fail to meet basic safety standards, UK fire door manufacturer JELD-WEN is calling for greater focus on fire door maintenance.
According to the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) 75 per cent of fire doors inspected failed checks with nearly a third (31%) being incorrectly installed at the outset.
RW Joinery, which runs the Doorassure fire door inspection service and carries out thousands of checks each year, reports this could be even higher, stating that 85 per cent of doors inspected last year failed to meet British Standards.
In response to these worrying statistics, JELD-WEN, one of the UK’s largest door manufacturers, is calling for the industry to focus on competency across the entire value chain from design and specification to installation and maintenance.
She continues: “Too many fire doors are not fit for purpose, due to a combination of factors including inaccurate specification, poor installation and ineffective maintenance. But it also points to a concerning lack of knowledge of fire safety responsibilities and understanding of the critical role fire doors play in protecting occupants."
One example of this is the Door Data Pin, which provides instant, NFC-enabled access via a free app to every Certifire fire doorset specification, certifications, installation guide, maintenance history and inspection data.
The data pin supports compliance and provides a reliable ‘golden thread’ of traceable data for specifiers. It also helps streamline the installation process and enables proactive maintenance planning while increasing transparency across the entire supply chain.
Lisa added: “The industry needs to focus on best practice not just in terms of installation and maintenance, but every day use of fire doors to ensure they fulfil their purpose as a potentially life-saving system.
“A fire door can only perform as intended if it is used as intended, which means reminding occupants not to prop doors open, ensure they remain closed, and have a maintenance schedule in place.”