4 Characteristics Of Fire Doors
As a business owner or facility manager, it’s important to ensure that your building is equipped with the right safety features, including fire doors. Fire doors are an essential part of any fire safety plan and can help to prevent the spread of fire, smoke, and toxic fumes throughout a building. In this blog, we’ll take a look at four characteristics of fire doors that you should be aware of, to ensure that your building is adequately protected.
1. Fire Resistance
The primary characteristic of a fire door is its ability to resist fire. Fire doors are designed to withstand high temperatures and flames for a specific amount of time, typically 30, 60, or 120 minutes. During a fire, the door helps to contain the fire in one area, giving occupants time to evacuate the building safely. When selecting fire doors for your building, be sure to choose doors that are rated for the appropriate length of time based on the size and use of the building.
2. Smoke Control
In addition to resisting fire, fire doors are also designed to control the spread of smoke throughout a building. Smoke inhalation is one of the leading causes of death in a fire, so it’s important to have fire doors that can help to limit its spread. Fire doors are fitted with intumescent strips that expand when exposed to heat, sealing the gaps around the door and preventing smoke from entering adjacent rooms.
3. Self-Closing
One critical feature of fire doors is their ability to close automatically. A fire door must be equipped with an automatic closing mechanism that ensures it stays shut at all times. This feature is essential in preventing the spread of fire and smoke throughout a building, as it keeps the door in the correct position to provide maximum protection.
4. Certified and Compliant
It is also important to ensure that the fire doors in your building comply with relevant fire safety regulations and are certified. This means that the doors have undergone testing and meet the required standards for fire resistance, smoke control, and self-closing mechanisms. When selecting fire doors, it is vital to choose doors that have been certified by a reputable third-party organization.
In summary, fire doors play a crucial role in any building’s fire safety plan. They prevent the spread of fire, smoke, and toxic fumes and provide occupants with the time to evacuate safely. When selecting fire doors for your building, make sure to choose doors that are fire-resistant, control smoke, close automatically, and comply with all relevant fire safety regulations. Investing in high-quality fire doors is crucial in protecting your building and its occupants in the event of a fire.
