Fire Doors for School & College Environments
Schools and colleges must ensure the safety and security of their pupils and staff, and this is a responsibility that must be taken seriously. As well as providing an environment of learning and support, matters of physical and bodily safety can never be ignored. Rigorous security measures are put into place to ensure that if an emergency, such as a fire, were to happen then all inside would be as safe as possible. In addition to smoke detectors and fire alarms, school environments must also add fire doors to their safety precautions. They are mandatory in UK schools according to the Regulatory Reform Order or RRO, however not all fire doors are the same. This means that there is a clear need to make sure the doors used within school environments are the highest quality available.
Requirements for Fire-Proof doors in Schools
All installed and previous existing fire doors should have a fire resistant capacity of at least two hours of exposure to fire. This harnesses the main power of fire doors, which is to compartmentalise the fire so that it remains in one controlled area. This will prevent the spread of the fire and also minimise the dangerous smoke fumes which could otherwise seep out of door frames and gaps.
If a school or college chooses a steel made door then the legal requirements state that these must have a melting point of at least 4 hours of continuous fire exposure. All doors must fit and seal the room from the outside corridor: an otherwise effective fire door which is badly fitted is of little use.
Requirements for installation of school fire doors
A school or college is responsible for the safety of those in their premises. In a school building which is two storeys or higher, the stairwell must be sealed off with fire proof or resistant doors that will stop the spread of a fire or its associated smoke to the outside rooms. Bathrooms do not have to be fitted with fire-proof doors, however. In addition to having suitable fire doors installed, they must also be appropriately identified with signs indicating that they are fire doors. This prevents life-threatening mistakes from happening during an emergency, especially if there is any panic.
Smoke seals are also very important. They should be installed around all fire-doors to prevent smoke from entering or leaving the room. They are also mandatory around dead ends and escape shafts such as emergency stairs.
Updates and Maintenance
In every public building, but especially schools, fire doors should be surveyed every six months to ensure they are in proper working condition and will be of use during an emergency. If left alone or neglected, fire doors may break down and no longer serve a useful function in fire safety prevention. These regular checks take place in order to determine whether doors need to be replaced or updated with the latest available technological advances. If a door has broken down or is in any way damaged then an immediate replacement is required.
Fire doors are an integral part of all fire safety and prevention in public buildings, and if they are not properly maintained then serious risk to life may occur. Buildings can stay up-to-date by following the simple procedure of checking equipment to make sure it is in peak performance and in compliance with government laws.
