Proptech can help agents with Fire door compliance

Fire safety legislation

The Building Safety Act 2022 set out further requirements for fire doors and how fire safety should be managed in England and Wales.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, implemented on 23 January 2023, have made it a legal requirement for responsible persons for all multi-occupied residential buildings in England with storeys over 11 metres in height to:

• Undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors (including self-closure devices) in the common parts
• Undertake – on a best endeavour basis – annual checks of all flat entrance doors (including self-closing devices) that lead onto a building’s common parts

As part of the Fire Order, the minimum requirement is for a responsible person to undertake an inspection of the doors such as:

• Any alterations or damage to the doors glazing or air transfer grille
• Any gaps around the door frame and check that seals and hinges are fitted correctly
• The door’s self-closure fully closes the door unaided
• The door closes correctly around the whole frame
• There is no visible damage – deliberate or wear and tear to the door closure

Grenfell Inquiry

The Fire Safety Order in 2005 states that property owners are required by law to fit all premises (other than private homes) with fire doors. The Phase 1 report of the Grenfell Tower disaster stated, “Fire doors play an essential role in preventing or inhibiting the spread of smoke and toxic gases and in preserving the effective compartmentation of buildings.”

Fire doors for safety in properties ensure escape routes are protected for people to evacuate a building safely from smoke fumes and toxic gases and offer more time for firefighters to extinguish the fire, so it is important that these are carefully maintained. The Inquiry noted that the fire doors in Grenfell were not, and therefore recommended that every owner and manager of a residential building containing separate dwellings carry out an urgent inspection of all fire doors to ensure compliance with current legislative standards, with a minimum of every three months, check, ensuring all fire doors are fitted with an effective self-closure device which is in working order.

Help to manage checks

Proptech can play a vital part in fire safety checks – providing the most suitable software is opted for to manage it correctly. There are plentiful software options that may be overwhelming, but conducting research properly is key, looking specifically for expert software that offers automated scheduling and reminders.

Not only can the more superior software be relied on for smoke alarm maintenance with regular testing and expiry date checks, but it can also schedule reminders and dates for fire door safety compliance with set checklists for consistency and ease, ensuring agents are always fully covered, which is a small price to pay for such an invaluable outcome.