Custom Internal Doors For Commercial Buildings

All commercial building owners and managers, whatever the building function, have a duty of care and safety for all occupants, residents, and visitors to their building. There are strict legal requirements to be adhered to with regards to all safety aspects, one of the most important being that of fire safety. There are detailed guidelines issued regarding fire safety with fire-resistant doors being one of the major components – doors for commercial buildings must be fire-resistant in certain areas and be professionally installed, along with certain internal fire doors where appropriate.

Here are some aspects of commercial fire door installation for you to consider:

What do fire doors do?

Fire doors perform two major safety functions – firstly, the fire doors, when closed, in the event of a fire outbreak, will create a solid barrier between the site of the fire outbreak and the adjoining rooms or areas. Internal fire doors help prevent the spread of heat, flame and any potentially harmful or fatal smoke, around the building thus offering protection for both any occupants inside and the limiting the damage to the building itself. The second vital function is that, when opened, these fire-resistant doors provide a safe egress from the building allowing any occupants to move to a place of safety from the fire outbreak.

Anything that compromises the fire doors in performing either of these functions can have serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences! An internal fire door that does not open and close properly will NOT protect the occupants from the effects of fire and smoke – and any fire door that is blocked, or has its’ access hampered in some way, will NOT allow for a safe passage from the inherent danger of a fire outbreak. Any of these issues are the responsibility of the designated building owner or manager and can lead to criminal prosecutions carrying serious punishments!

There are Mandatory Legal Requirements

There are specific legal covenants that cover fire doors for commercial buildings – the mandatory regulations and guidelines are stated in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order:2005 – this is referred to as the RRO or FSO. These documents clearly stipulate the recommended and required aspects for the fire safety in all commercial premises – one of the mainstays of which is the installation of fire-resistant doors that been manufactured and fitted to specific standards and conditions.

Specific Places Where Fire Doors Are Needed

Different buildings will have different specifications of fire-resistant doors, dependent upon the building itself and the nature of the function of the building. The most commonly required and installed internal fire doors are the FD30 – which provides a minimum of 30 minutes fire resistance – and the FD60, providing a minimum of 60 minutes resistance. Other locations may require fire doors with a longer and more substantial fire resistance and can be ordered from a registered and approved fire door manufacturer or supplier. It is always advisable to consult a respectable and established timber door manufacturer when considering the fire safety needs for your building – they can furnish you with all the professional advice and expertise in producing both your standard, and any bespoke, fire door manufacture and installation.

Fire doors are mandatory requirements in many different types of building including domestic dwellings, mixed function buildings and, of course, all buildings for commercial use. With regards to buildings for domestic occupation, any construction that is more than two storeys high MUST have internal fire doors between any stairwell and all habitable rooms. Buildings being used for both commercial and residential purposes MUST have appropriate fire-resistant doors that separate the different amenities and functions.

Commercial buildings must follow ALL the mandatory fire safety guidelines as specified in the RRO, and regular and comprehensive fire risk assessments must be performed and adhered to.

Enfield Doors

Our team of experts is always on hand to guide you and give you sound and pragmatic advice based on years of experience and successful installations.

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