As professionals in the fire and life safety industry, we are always reinforcing the importance of having your facilities fire doors tested and inspected annually. As you may know by now, fire doors have a well-thought out design with hundreds of moving parts, which allows them to prevent fire and smoke from spreading throughout the building. Unfortunately, that means there is a higher chance for a fire door’s parts to become deficient.
Fire doors are complicated devices that require a knowledgeable professional in the field to perform an annual inspection as accurately as NFPA 80 requires. However, there are deficiencies that you can repair to help keep your building’s fire doors in compliance with the codes and standards.
Three Easily Preventable Fire Door Deficiencies:
These are only a few of the top ten deficiencies that are seen in fire doors, but are the easiest to prevent. It may not seem like a big deal to prop open a door to let a little air flow through the hallway or stairwell. But if a fire were to happen, those fire doors would not be able to function properly. Fire doors are only one piece in a fire protection system, yet they play a huge role in a building’s overall fire safety. They are supposed to remain in the closed position with nothing blocking their access. Therefore, removing objects that keep the door propped open or block its access will help prevent fire and smoke from spreading in the event of a fire as well as provide a safe egress for occupants. Not to mention, it will also help confirm your fire doors are in compliance with the code.