The Importance of Fire Doors for
Creating Safe Buildings Door Leaf Frame / Lining Intumescent Seals Smoke Seals* Latch or Lock
Hinges Door Closer* Signage* Other Ironmongery* Fire Door Glazing*
Frame / Wall sealing Threshold Seals* Installation Regular Inspection & Maintenance Air Transfer grille (ATG)* *if required
Building design today has been significantly shaped by fire safety considerations. Architects today are familiar with the wide range of code requirements for a building to be compliant, from materials, to fire extinguisher locations, to fire-rated walls and doors. As buildings have become better-equipped to withstand fire emergencies, however, modern life has simultaneously increased the amount of fire hazards we live with. As per survey there was a civilian fire death every 2 hours and 24 minutes, taking almost 3,000 lives in total and additionally costing huge loss in property. One of the problems is that modern-day fires progress more quickly due to the prevalence of synthetic materials in the home. According to Laboratories research, inhabitants 30 years ago had 14-17 minutes to escape a house fire, on average. Today, it's closer to 2-3 minutes. A small flame can become life-threatening in as little as 30 seconds, and it can take less than five minutes for a fire to engulf an entire property. Like people, fires use doors to reach different areas of a building. While it can burn through walls (especially if not firerated), fire will naturally take the path of least resistance, which is most often a door. If the doors themselves are not fireproof, they can even contribute to the strength and spread of a fire. Fire doors, doors with a specified fire-resistance rating, can help contain fires to one room or part of a building and slow the spread of the fire, which allows more time for firefighters to arrive and occupants to escape. 50
Of course, this only works if every component is fire-rated and third-partyapproved to resist fire. All components of an entry system, including the doors, closers, hinges, locks, intumescent seals, panic hardware, hold-opens, and free-swing devices and signage, should all be specified by an expert and officially approved. None of this will effectively stop fire spread, however, if the door itself is left open. Just as fire doors are an obstacle for fires spreading from one part of a building to another, they can sometimes also be an obstacle for people trying to get from one part of the building to another. This can lead a building's inhabitants to find an informal solution to keep the door open and their access unrestricted, such as wedging it open with a piece of wood or cardboard. Therefore, for fire doors to be effective, they must be easy to use and not restrict access for those in the building. Additionally from a legal perspective, if a facility wedges a fire door open, they could invalidate their insurance or even suffer criminal penalties. Modern fire door models have features that allow the door June 2021 - www.visionmediahitech.com
