ASSA ABLOY Door Group highlights importance of fire door inspections in rail environments

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires organisations to undertake risk assessments and identify the general fire precautions needed to safeguard occupants in case of fire, including their safe means of escape.

Fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building. Regular inspections are essential to fully ensure Health and Safety measures are met. In rail environments, doors need to be durable and extremely high quality in order to withstand high usage levels over prolonged periods of time.

It’s recommended that fire doors are held open on magnets to maximise foot flow in busy tunnels and that they only close to provide compartmentation in the event of a fire, as well as providing a minimum of 60 minutes of fire resistance and smoke control without any latches or locks fitted to the door.

With this in mind, internal steel fire doors provide a higher level of fire protection, helping to prevent the spread of fire and maximise evacuation time. Additionally, steel doors demonstrate superior strength and durability, combined with relatively low maintenance requirements, in turn making them an ideal choice for high traffic areas.

Life safety-critical

Lee Cook, the Door Group’s business development manager for repair, service and maintenance, explained: “Specifying and correctly installing compliant fire doors in rail environments is absolutely critical to ensure life safety. Once that door’s in place the job doesn’t end there, though. Regular inspections are essential to guarantee that these doors continue to perform effectively.”

Cook added: “As part of our commitment to fire door safety in the rail sector, Door Group provides a fully comprehensive inspection process which can be carried out every three, four, six or 12 months to suit specific requirements.”

Following inspections, the Door Group then offers detailed reports containing advice and recommendations on necessary improvements, with the knowledge that identifying any potential issues that could impact safety and product performance can be life-saving.

Cook concluded: “If any issues do occur, a tailored repair proposal is issued to include anything from replacement doors through to a regular maintenance programme. Door Group inspectors are Building Research Establishment-certified and will ensure that all fire doors inspected meet all of the necessary standards and regulations.”

*For more information on ASSA ABLOY Door Group visit the website at https://bit.ly/3hVybbC