Fire Door Safety Week takes place between the 15th and 21st September and was created to encourage building owners to take responsibility for fire doors within their premises.
Fire doors tend to be a neglected fire safety device, when in fact it is absolutely crucial that they are correctly installed and maintained in order to protect tenants, particularly those in multi-occupancy buildings.
Intumescent strips surrounding a fire door automatically expand when temperatures amid a fire hit a certain point. The fire door is then sealed firmly within the door frame and can withhold fire and the resulting smoke for up to sixty minutes, depending on the thickness of the door. This provides occupants with an increased window to escape and ensures vital escape routes are not blocked by flames. Landlords should, therefore, ensure that the fire door is also closed and not propped open, as well as ensuring that the strips, hinges and the door are intact and in full-working order.
Jon Walker, Premdor’s Fire Door Ambassador, says that the importance of fire doors cannot be trivialised or ignored. "Fire doors ultimately saves lives", says Jon. "The aftermath of a fire can be devastating for families and sadly, can result in fatalities. A landlord should ensure that any fire doors within a home they are letting, are correctly installed and adequately maintained to ensure they will prevent the spread of fire if the worst should happen’.
Premdor is offering free fire door advice to landlords and other property owners throughout Fire Door Safety Week to ensure that Barnsley’s fire doors will act accordingly in a fire situation. Call 0844 209 0008 to speak to a Fire Door specialist or alternatively, visit Premdor’s website www.premdor.co.uk, which contains downloadable leaflets and fire door FAQs.
