On the rare occasion where a fire actually breaks out in any given premise, the humble fire door often goes unnoticed and underappreciated. But business owners, architects, and building planners know the importance of having a good fire door installed in case of such an emergency. In the event of an actual fire, it plays an important and crucial role in saving lives as the fire door can hold off a fire while the building occupants can escape during which the emergency services can arrive on site. They are an essential part of a buildings passive fire protection system as they close automatically when they detect fire, while controlling the spread of fire and minimising property damage.
Fire doors need to be updated with the latest local, national, and international fire door regulations. The fire doors also need to adhere to certain building codes in order to be situated perfectly in a given building. The building codes enforce a minimum mandate of passing, and when coupled with the fire resistance, it helps gauge how many people can be allowed in one building at any given time. In order for a door to be considered a fire door, it needs to control the spread of a fire for a minimum of 60 minutes or one hour, and it can increase to include 120 minutes or two hours as well. The amount of time a door can withstand the fire is also highly influenced by the local building codes and its immediate vicinity.
When it comes to keeping doors closed or open, the fire doors usually remain open during normal business hours. But during an emergency, these doors close automatically. In some regions and states, it is actually illegal to keep it shut. In case the door is not equipped with an automatic door closer, then it needs to be kept closed. While it is convenient to put in a wedge to let in an air breeze, propping it open can defeat its fire controlling properties. Permitted onsite modifications are also very limited when it comes to a fire door as it needs a strict range of hardware. Otherwise, the fire door will become redundant. In areas with high traffic, the fire doors need to be inspected once a week, and in areas with less traffic, they can be checked monthly.
Sometimes, fire accidents are not always preventable. But the loss of life associated with it can surely be controlled with the help of a good quality fire door.
