Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk THE door industry journal winter Fire Doors, Safety & Security E. & S.W. Knowles Warns of Dangerous Delays in Fire Door Safety Checks E. & S.W. Knowles – the Birmingham-based manufacturer of internal doors - is warning of backlogs to fire door maintenance and replacements that could be causing dangerous problems. In 2020 it was revealed that at least 26,318 fire doors were scheduled for maintenance or replacement between January and June of that year, but 16,580 did not progress – meaning 63% of individual planned works were delayed until at least the second half of the year, affecting a minimum of 9,954 individual properties. It is thought that there is still a significant backlog in the system. This is dangerous, as fire doors play a critical role in protecting lives and preventing the passage of fire to other parts of a building or into another building. To qualify as a fire door, a door must have a door leaf, frame/lining, intumescent seals, a latch or lock, hinges and frame/wall sealing. Other items that may be required include smoke seals, door closer, signage, other ironmongery, fire door glazing, threshold seals, and an air transfer grille. All the right components must be correctly fitted and maintained to ensure the door works properly in the event of a fire. As part of Fire Door Safety Week – an annual safety campaign – companies and organisations are urged to undertake a five-step safety check to ensure that:
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