When and where fire doors are required in commercial buildings

In all commercial buildings health and safety is paramount, with fire safety a major consideration.

There are legal requirements regarding fire and an important aspect of those mandatory requirements is the installation of fire doors.

Fire doors are a vital component of any commercial building’s passive fire protection system.

Here is some information on the requirement for fire doors in commercial buildings:

Mandatory Legal Requirements

The legal requirements for fire doors in a commercial building are stipulated in The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Amongst these recommendations it is stated that all identified and established escape routes must be kept clear, must be direct as possible and that there is sufficient evacuation routes established in the building that allow safe evacuation of all occupants in the event of a fire.

Fire doors in commercial buildings

As stated, all commercial buildings are legally bound to have fire doors installed – here are some examples of buildings where these fire doors are mandatory:

Retail Outlets

Shops and retail hospitality outlets such as cafes, restaurants, bars, clubs and such, must be compliant with the fire safety rules outlined earlier. The safety of all customers, clients, as well as staff must be considered, so every facet of fire safety regulations MUST be applied.

Industrial Premises

Whether it be a large factory or warehouse, or a single industrial unit on an estate, all are subject to the same regulations as other commercial properties and must have the appropriate fire resistance measures in place. This entails every door, internal and external, leading to an identified escape route MUST be an official fire door.

Offices

Office buildings are classified as commercial premises, so must be fully fire safety compliant. All office premises are subject to a full fire risk assessment on, at least, an annual basis with a nominated ‘Responsible Person’ identified as the individual charged with ensuring the risk assessments and all resulting fire safety recommendations and fire equipment installations are adhered to and in place.

Education Environments

Schools, colleges and universities are not strictly categorised as ‘commercial’ buildings, but the nature of their function demands that fire safety issues are in place – there are separate official government documents specifying the necessary requirements for fire safety and compliance in these establishments.