Fire doors are an important part of a building’s overall fire and life safety protection system. They are a method of passive fire protection used to prevent the spread of fire and smoke between fire barriers. Not only do they keep fire and smoke from spreading throughout a building, but they also provide a safe passage way for those to escape during a fire. However, in order for fire doors to do their job correctly, they must be properly maintained and kept in the closed position.
According to the Door Safety and Security Foundation’s 2015 “Top Ten Fire Door Deficiencies”, fire doors blocked to stay in the open position is the THIRD and FIFTH most common deficiency among fire doors.
It may not seem like a big deal to prop open a door to let a little air flow through the building or to make passing from one room to the next a little easier. However, fire uses oxygen to burn, and a closed fire door with proper clearance dimensions around the perimeter of the door will help limit the oxygen flow to the fire. By being denying oxygen, the fire isn’t being fueled with energy to continuing to grow. This will help keep the fire contained, which will help limit property damage as well as allowing occupants a safe evacuation route.
Fire doors are one of the most important fire safety products on your property. They help prevent fire and smoke from spreading throughout the building, while giving occupants time to evacuate. However, fire doors are complex devices and require a lot of attention and maintenance in order to work properly. This is one of the many reasons why fire doors are installed, and if left open, both the fire and smoke will be able to spread throughout the building. So keep your fire doors shut! Your building and the lives of everyone inside depend on it.