Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 PDF

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons: how to conduct routine checks and provide information to residents Fire door keep shut F SO...

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons: how to conduct routine checks and provide information to residents Fire door keep shut F SO This guidance is issued by the Secretary of State in accordance with A RTI CE Article 50 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 AN LE C I D 50 GU © Crown copyright 2023 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/ open-government-licence/version/3 Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ fire-safety-legislation-guidance-for-those-with-legal-duties Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at [email protected] September 2023  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons Contents 1. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 1 2. About this guide 2 3. What the law requires 3 4. The role of fire doors 4 5. Information for residents: What you need to do 5 6. Routine checking of fire doors: What you need to do 6 Flat entrance doors 7 Typical examples of fire doors signage 8 Typical examples of self-closing devices (subject to capability to close the door from any angle of opening) 9 Doors to stairways and lobbies, and doors within corridors 9 Doors to plant rooms, service cupboards and risers 10 Appendix: Fire doors checks 11 Checklist12 Action plan 13  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 1 1. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 1. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 1. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 1.1 The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 were placed on the statute book on 18 May 2022, and came into force on 23 January 2023. The Regulations implement the majority of those recommendations made to government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report which require a change in the law. 1.2 Responsible Persons, including both building owners (e.g. freeholders) and other persons having control of the premises (e.g. managing agents) were required to comply with the Regulations from 23 January 2023. Any breach of the Regulations is a criminal offence if the breach places one or more relevant persons (e.g. residents, staff or visitors) at risk of death or serious injury in the event of fire.  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 2 2. About this guide 2. About this guide 2. About this guide 2.1 This short guide is intended to 2.4 Regulation 10 makes requirements assist those with duties under the in relation to two matters, namely: Fire Safety (England) Regulations to comply with Regulation 10, which Information about flat entrance doors makes requirements about fire doors that the Responsible Person must in all buildings that contain two or give to all residents (whether tenants more domestic premises and that or leaseholders). This requirement contain common parts, through relates to all blocks of flats; and which residents would need to Routine checks of fire doors that the evacuate in a fire. Responsible Person must ensure are carried out. These checks are 2.2 This guide is aimed at carrying out only required in blocks of flats in simple checks upon a fire door, and is which the top storey is more than 11 based on the assumption that the fire metres above ground level (typically, risk assessment has already assessed a building of more than four storeys). the suitability of the fire doors. It is about making sure that the fire doors remain suitable thereafter and match those that were taken into account in the Fire Risk Assessment. 2.3 This means that Regulation 10 applies to all blocks of flats (or parts of such blocks) that incorporate common parts, regardless of whether the block is purpose-built or is a conversion – for the purpose of this legislation, flat entrance doors are included within the meaning of ‘common parts’.  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 3 3. What the law requires 3. What the law requires 3. What the law requires 3.1 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) 3.4 As with all fire safety measures, fire Order 2005 (as amended) (‘the FSO’) doors need to be kept in good working requires that, in a block of flats, there order and in good repair. Wear and are suitable fire precautions in place tear, for example, can result in defects. to make sure that the common parts The objective of Regulation 10 is are safe to use as a means of escape to ensure that such defects do not in the event of fire. The appropriate fire materially undermine the ability of precautions are determined by carrying the doors to adequately prevent fire out a fire risk assessment. and smoke spread, whether to the extent originally designed or as verified 3.2 As this is a legal requirement under as adequate in the most recent fire Article 9 of the FSO, you should have risk assessment. already made sure that a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment has been carried out; if there is no fire risk assessment in place, you must arrange for this to be carried out as soon as is practicably possible. 3.3 Fire-resisting doors (fire doors) are one of the most important measures to safeguard the means of escape from fire. Your fire risk assessment should already have identified the doors in question and determined whether the doors are adequate to resist the spread of fire and smoke into, or within, the common parts. You should have already taken steps to maintain doors in good order, and where it has been found that the existing door is inadequate and needs to be replaced, this must be done by a competent person.  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 4 4. The role of fire doors 4. The role of fire doors 4. The role of fire doors 4.1 In general, fire doors within a block of flats fall into four categories: Flat entrance doors: these are particularly important, because, in blocks of flats, most fires occur within the flats themselves. The flat entrance door prevents the spread of fire and smoke into the common parts and ensures the safety of other residents. Doors to stairways and lobbies (between corridors and stairways): these keep the stairways and lobbies free from fire and smoke, so that they can safely be used by residents and others who might need to leave the building during a fire, and to assist firefighters during firefighting operations. Doors that sub-divide corridors: these are to limit the spread of fire and smoke throughout, for example, a long corridor. Doors to plant rooms and cupboards (e.g. containing electrical distribution equipment) and to service risers (shafts which allow the vertical passage of cables, pipes, etc.).  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 5 5. Information for residents: What you need to do 5. Information for residents: What you need to do 5. Information for residents: What you need to do 5.1 Residents have an important role to play in ensuring that, if there is a fire in their flat, the flat entrance door is an effective barrier to the spread of fire and smoke into the common parts. 5.2 Regulation 10 requires that residents are given information that: fire doors should be kept shut when not in use residents or their guests should not tamper with self-closing devices residents should report any fault or damage immediately to the Responsible Person 5.3 The above information must be provided by the Responsible Person to any new resident as soon as reasonably practicable after the resident moves into their flat. The Responsible Person must also remind all residents about this information at periods not exceeding 12 months starting from when the Regulations come into force. 5.4 Where a resident wants to alter or change their front door, this should be done with the knowledge and agreement of the Responsible Person to ensure that it does not negatively impact upon the overarching fire risk assessment for the premises.  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 6 6. Routine checking of fire doors: What you need to do 6. Routine checking of fire doors: What you need to do 6. Routine checking of fire doors: What you need to do 6.1 Regulation 10 requires that, if the 6.3 The checks under Regulation top storey of the building is above 10 should be simple and basic. 11 metres in height (typically, You should not need to engage a a building of more than four storeys) specialist to carry these out, with the Responsible Person must: appropriate instruction, caretakers, managing agents, housing officers use best endeavours to check and maintenance personnel should be all flat entrance fire doors at least able to do them (e.g. in the course of every 12 months other routine checks and visits to the carry out checks of any fire building) as the checks are only visual doors in communal areas at least and do not involve, for example, the every three months use of tools. 6.2 The government is committed to 6.4 The Responsible Person will need ensuring that undue burdens are not to ensure that the necessary created for freeholders and, through arrangements are in place to address service charges, for leaseholders. any issues identified. The extent to Accordingly, for the purpose of the which the individual appointed to carry fire door checks required by the Fire out the checks will also be able to Safety (England) Regulations, it can address the issues or complete any be assumed that the Responsible repairs will be determined by their Person has evidence that the design, skills, knowledge and experience of specification and installation of the fire doors. Where inspections identify door is adequate for its location or the need for repair or replacement of is taking separate measures to deal any fire door (e.g. communal or flat with any inadequacies in inherent fire entrance door), this work must be performance. Identification of issues undertaken by a competent contractor in relation to the type of door and its as soon as reasonably practicable. intended resistance to fire and smoke is a matter for your fire risk assessment and compliance with the Fire Safety Order. It is not a matter for Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 7 6. Routine checking of fire doors: What you need to do Flat entrance doors information relating to the door to the Responsible Person. Modern 6.5 To check flat entrance doors, you will fire doors should display a visible fire need access to each flat, so that the resistance rating (see photo 2). door can be checked on both sides. Arrangements should be made with b. Letterboxes are firmly closed and residents in advance to carry out these not jammed open. Where a letterbox checks. You could consider offering has been fitted to a door that a range of times, so that residents did not previously have one, the can be present. Other than in very resident will need to confirm that small blocks of flats, it is unlikely the new letterbox is suitable for use that all doors can be checked on in fire-resisting doors and has been a single occasion. fitted by a specialist contractor. 6.6 Regulation 10 requires that, over c. There is no damage to, or defects in, every 12-month period, you keep a the door, door frame or the securing record of the steps taken to check flat wall that might affect the ability to entrance doors. In any cases when resist the spread of fire or smoke access to a flat was not granted, this (e.g. a split in the wood of a timber must also be detailed. Ultimately, you fire door, damage to any glazing in might need to consider legal action the door, warping of the door that if a resident persistently refuses to affects its fit in its frame, a hole cooperate with these checks. It may where a lock has been removed, be useful to pre-plan the checks that etc.). Doors should also be checked need to be undertaken. For example, for any alterations that may affect this could take the form of a checklist, their fire resisting qualities. on which you can record the outcome of each check. A sample checklist is d. The condition of the fire-resisting included as an appendix to this guide. glass and glazing system in the door You could also use electronic means to panels, and any associated side plan and record checks. or over panels forming part of the doorset, retains their ability to resist 6.7 Each time you carry out fire door the spread of fire and smoke. checks, you should check that: e. There are no obvious defects in a. The resident has not replaced a the hinges (e.g. missing or loose fire-resisting flat entrance door screws), or any other element of the with a new, non-fire-resisting door. ironmongery (e.g. ventilation grilles). This may be obvious if the door is of a different design from all other f. Intumescent strips (which expand doors in the building but may not when exposed to fire and seal gaps be where flat entrance doors are around the door) and smoke seals all of a different design. Where any (which look similar to draught seals), doubt exists, the resident will need if present, are undamaged, make to confirm that the new door is contact with the door edge or frame, fire-resisting, has been installed by and have not been painted over a competent person, and they will during decoration activities. If they be required to provide the technical were not originally present, this may be acceptable, subject to the  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 8 6. Routine checking of fire doors: What you need to do findings of the fire risk assessment. Typical examples of These strips and seals may be fitted to either the door or the frame, fire doors signage and they are normally combined (see photo 3). Signage may differ in style, content and format from the examples shown. g. The gap between the door and the frame is not too large. The industry 1: Fire door signage standard is that the gap size should never be more than 4mm, except at the bottom of the door, where the gap should be as small as practicable, while ensuring that the door is unlikely to snag on the floor even if the door drops slightly on the hinges. Simple ‘gap tester’ cards are available for this purpose. h. There is an effective self-closing device on fire doors of flat entrances and fire doors within common parts 2: Fire door resistance rating signage (see photos 4 and 5) – this is very (image courtesy of Golden Thread Fire Delay) important. A fire door that does not close fully into its frame will not adequately hold back fire and smoke. You should check that the door will close fully into its frame when opened to any angle and allowed to close under the action of the self-closing device. A simple way to check this is to: firstly, open the door fully, then let it go then open the door to around 3: Combined intumescent strip/seal 15 degrees and let it go (image courtesy of Golden Thread Fire Delay) In both cases, the door should fully close into the frame, overcoming the resistance of any latch or friction with the floor.  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 9 6. Routine checking of fire doors: What you need to do Typical examples of Doors to stairways self-closing devices and lobbies, and doors (subject to capability to close the within corridors door from any angle of opening) 6.8 These doors are subject to greater Whatever device is fitted, it must meet wear and tear, and to greater potential the requirements of the check and close for damage, than flat entrance appropriately. doors, so they must be examined more regularly. While the Fire Safety 4: Overhead self-closer (England) Regulations require that they (image courtesy of Golden Thread Fire Delay) are checked every three months, it is a simple matter for them to be monitored on an ongoing basis when any other checks in the common parts are carried out or the building is visited. 6.9 Checking these doors is similar to checking flat entrance doors, so you should check for: damage or defects that might affect the door’s ability to resist the spread of fire or smoke (see paragraph 6.7 a to e) 5: Concealed self-closer Any damage to intumescent strips or smoke seals, if present (see paragraph 6.7 f) Large gaps (see paragraph 6.7 g) The presence of an effective self-closing device (see paragraph 6.7 h) 6.10 In some premises, corridor and lobby doors might be held open on magnetic door hold-open devices (see photo 6). For this to be the case, there would 6: Magnetic door hold-open device be a need for smoke detectors, activation of which would cause the door to close. Care should be taken when checking the self-closing device on these doors. Use the test button, where provided, to close the door, rather than pulling the door from its magnet.  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 10 6. Routine checking of fire doors: What you need to do 6.11 Although unusual, where a double Fire door checks are vital in making sure door is installed, that requires one your block of flats is safe for residents. leaf to close before the other, a door The checks are not a substitute for selector may be fitted to ensure that periodic assessment of fire doors by fire the doors swing closed in the correct safety specialists (e.g. on a sampling order. Where such a selector is fitted, basis during fire risk assessments). this should be checked to ensure that However, the simple fire door checks it is operating correctly. described in this Guide will enable you to discover, and put right, most of the Doors to plant rooms, service rudimentary defects that prevent a fire door from doing its job. cupboards and risers 6.12 These doors should also be checked at least every three months. Again, the checks are similar to those described for other doors. In particular, you should check for: damage or defects that might affect the door’s ability to resist the spread of fire or smoke (see paragraph 6.7 a to e) any damage to air transfer grilles that may be present in the door (see paragraph 6.7 e) any damage to intumescent strips or smoke seals, if present (see paragraph 6.7 f) large gaps (see paragraph 6.7 g) 6.13 In the case of these doors, they may be either self-closing or kept locked shut. If the doors are self-closing, they should be checked as described in paragraph 6.7 h). 6.14 Caution should be exercised to ensure that entry into any of these areas can be carried out safely by those involved, taking into account any findings of the relevant health and safety risk assessment.  Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons 11 Appendix: Fire doors checks Appendix: Fire doors checks Appendix: Fire doors checks Checklist Location Checks completed Door, Hinges, frame, and locks Strips Doors Any Comments securing and other Door and Self- wedged other Record brief details Floor Door Door type wall Letterbox Glazing ironmongery gaps seals closer Alterations open damage of issues identified Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons Appendix: Fire doors checks 12 Action plan Door identifier (floor/door/door type) Issue/deficiency identified Proposed action Timescales Person responsible Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons Address Name Appendix: Fire doors checks Job title Signature Date 13