This important message is being shared with residents as part of Fire Door Safety Week, which takes place from 25 to 29 September. The annual campaign is designed to engage and educate people living in shared buildings on the critical role of fire doors.
According to research, carried out as part of the Fire Door Safety Week Campaign, 1 in 3 (32%) people said they would not report a problem with a fire door. Nearly half (49%) felt it wasn’t their place or role to report fire door safety issues.
Saleh Mirza, A2Dominion’s Head of Building Fire and Safety, said: “Our priority is ensuring that everyone living in our buildings and using our communal areas are safe and secure in the event of a fire. We’re also calling on residents to play their part in keeping themselves and their neighbours safe. Please don’t prop open fire doors, close them behind you and report any damage to us immediately.”
We’ve inspected all our communal fire doors in 235 buildings over 11m in height to make sure they meet new government legislation. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure people are better protected and feel safe in their homes.
The work is being carried out as part of our Fire Door Inspection Programme, which launched in January 2023. This follows the latest government legislation which came into force at the start of the year.
Under the new regulations we’re required to complete quarterly communal door inspections and annual checks on flat entrance doors in buildings taller than 11 metres.
Customers will have their communal fire doors replaced or upgraded, where required, as part of a rolling annual programme. Higher risk developments are being inspected first, based on fire risk assessments.
Saleh added: “We’re pleased to share that we’re on track and compliant with the government’s new fire door regulations. We’ve spent over £2m towards fire door upgrades this year alone and aim to continue the same level of commitment for the next 5 years.”
Why are fire doors so important?
A fire door is a vital safety device engineered to save lives and protect property. It is therefore important that fire doors are installed correctly and kept in good condition and free from damage.
What fire doors do?
Fire doors help save lives in the event of a fire by:
- Withstanding a fire for a period of time. This is normally between 30 and 60 minutes
- Protecting crucial escape routes so that people can escape the building safely
- Automatically closing behind you to form a barrier
- Limiting the spread of the fire and smoke from one part of a building to another.
What can you do to help?
- Don’t leave a fire door wedged or propped open
- Never carry out any repairs or work on your fire door
- Keep access to fire doors clear and free from obstruction
- Check your front door closes safely – hold it halfway open, and check the latch engages when you let it go
- If a fire door doesn’t close, report it to us immediately
- Never disconnect an automatic closer – the door is useless if it remains open, and it will allow the spread of smoke and fire
- Don’t remove kitchen or other internal fire doors
- If you’re fitting new carpets, make sure the door still closes smoothly – if it catches on the carpet, consider fitting rising hinges. Don’t trim the door!
- Don’t make new openings in fire doors for cat flaps or letter boxes without seeking advice.
Reporting an issue
Contact us immediately if you find an issue with the fire safety doors in your building. You can also contact your local fire service for advice.