Fire Door installation and maintenance to control the spread of fire

Passive Fire Protection saves countless lives. Your Fire Doors are a legal requirement to stop fire spreading and protect emergency exit routes.

Blake's are fully qualified to install and maintain all your Fire Doors and Fire Stopping. All works are fully compliant with legislation and carried out to BMTRADA standards.

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Fire Doors. Not just part of the furniture!

Blake Fire & Security Systems have a long and distinguished track record with Fire Doors. This includes design, install and maintenance! We're proud to keep businesses, schools and care homes safe. From our base in Southend, we can cover Essex, London and the South East.

Fire Doors are the most commonly known form of Passive Fire Protection. We see those blue circular badges all the time and rarely think anything of it. Don't be fooled though, these are powerful life-saving devices!

Unlike a standard door, a Fire Door is able to:

control the spread of fire or smoke between areas (known as compartments);
auto close to protect emergency exit routes;
give building occupants enough time to safely escape or wait to be evacuated;
maintain security by opening from the inside only when leading to external areas.

A Fire Door has a fire-resistance or fire-protection rating. FD30 rated door sets will withstand fire for 30 minutes, FD60 for 60 minutes.

I would just like to thank you and all the team that have been here with me this week, for an absolutely fantastic service and a great job well done. Your colleagues have been helpful, informative and very patient with me as a business owner with little or no understanding of fire regulations and our responsibilities as a business owner.

Things have been explained well and the training I have received has been excellent. Further to this I would add that the Fire Risk Assessor who has been on site this morning spoke very highly of your company was assured that we were in good hands!

Kirsty Powell, Director

Chef’s Choice Ltd

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Still researching? Click here to get advice from the experts on how to ensure your Fire Safety is compliant with Fire Doors legislation.

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...always compliant. You're in safe hands with Blake's

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Fire Door Surveys: effortless compliance

Fire Door Surveys lift the burden of compliance from your shoulders.

You'll receive a comprehensive report detailing the condition of your Fire Doors, compliance status, recommendations for maintenance or upgrades. Costings and a strategic plan for ongoing management.

Your compliance headache cured!

Ensuring your Fire Doors are compliant with safety regulations and in full working condition. Ready to prevent the spread of fire and smoke if the worst happens!

I want a Fire Door survey

Read our FAQs on Fire Doors:

Do I need Fire Doors in my block of flats?
Do I need Fire Doors in my home?
What are my Fire Risk Assessment obligations?
Why should a fire door be kept closed?
What is Fire Door Maintenance?
Do I need a Fire Door Survey?
Fire Door Survey or Fire Door Inspection... what do we do?
Who can fit Fire Doors? Do I need a qualified Fire Door supplier or installer?

Do I need Fire Doors on my rented apartment or in my block of flats?

Yes. They are a legal requirement for all buildings with any type or size communal area at all. This is to make sure vital escape routes are protected in the event of a fire. It usually applies to the front door of each apartment.

Landlords should also ensure that Fire Door Sets have compliant fittings. Think of letter boxes and hinges.

The key points regarding legal requirements for fire doors in flats:

Fire Door Ratings: Fire doors in flats must offer a minimum of 30 minutes of fire resistance. They are typically labeled as FD30 or FD60, indicating 30 or 60 minutes of fire resistance, respectively.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: This legislation outlines fire safety regulations for flats, requiring regular checks and maintenance of fire doors.
Responsible Person: The building owner or landlord is typically designated as the responsible person for fire safety in flats. They are tasked with conducting fire risk assessments, ensuring proper installation and maintenance of fire doors.
Quarterly and Annual Checks: According to the Fire Safety Act 2021, responsible persons for buildings over 11 meters in height must conduct quarterly checks of all fire doors in communal areas and annual checks on all flat entrance doors.
Compliance with Standards: Fire doors must meet specific standards, including having a door closer, correct closure around the frame, no visible damage, and appropriate seals and hinges.

These legal requirements aim to ensure that fire doors in flats provide adequate protection and contribute to overall fire safety.

Do I need Fire Doors in my home?

Yes, in some circumstances.

Do you have an integral garage? The door set that joins the house to the garage needs to be rated a minimum of FD30. It must also be self-closing with smoke seals.

Do you live in a mixed use building? There must be Fire Doors separating the business/residential sections.

Do you have your loft converted into a living or working space? You will need Fire Doors to create a safe corridor from that area to the outside of the building.

Residential homes over two storeys tall also have to meet building regulations for Fire Doors.

If in any doubt, get in touch with an expert straight away!

What are my Fire Risk Assessment obligations?

The Fire Safety Order requires the appointment of a Responsible Person to ensure there is adequate fire protection in every non-domestic premises in the UK.

This Responsible Person is usually the business owner or, for schools, the head teacher. S/he must ensure that there is an up to date Fire Risk Assessment. And everything highlighted must be addressed completely.

The FSO legislation states that the Responsible Person must make a suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment (Article 9). Get this wrong and the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison!

The good news is Blake Fire & Security Systems can assist in getting the Risk Assessment done correctly. And help you understand the findings and recommendations.

Download your FREE
fire door compliance guide

Complying with Fire Door regulations is tough. And getting it wrong can be expensive.
Our 6 step guide sidesteps the guesswork and makes Fire Door compliance easy.

Why should a Fire Door be kept closed?

If a Fire Door is left open, or propped open with an object - even a fire extinguisher - it defeats the purpose. And actually puts people at risk... because when a Fire Door is propped open, it provides a direct path for fire and smoke to spread through your building.

But... sometimes your Fire Doors do need to be kept open. So what should you do?

Well this blog post shows you how you can keep your Fire Doors open AND stay compliant.

What is Fire Door Maintenance?

Fire Door Maintenance is a system of regular survey and repairs.

BMTRADA and the BWF recommend this industry standard: Your Fire Doors should be surveyted and maintained by a competent company every 6 months.

This is especially important for busy places where the doors are heavily used. Think schools, offices and public buildings. Also, anywhere the occupants may have trouble escaping without assistance. Like care homes, day centres or hospitals.

Regular maintenance also allows early intervention for any damage to hinges, handles, glazing and seals. It's an easy way to prolong the life of your Fire Door Set and avoid the need for a total replacement.

All Fire Door maintenance work by Blake Fire & Security Systems is carried out to the level of BMTRADA standards. And all our service engineers have passed an Enhanced DBS check.

"A Fire Door is a Life Safety Product, which is why it’s so important to ensure they are correctly installed and maintained... they save lives!"

Martin Blake

Fire Doors, Passive Fire Protection & Fire Stopping Manager

Reliable Fire Door service for all types of properties in Southend

"Thank you so much for the certificate and for fitting the new Fire Door. It is a great help to my disabled brother and his support staff.

I cannot remember the name of the gentleman who fitted it, however please pass on my compliments as he is so good at his job and a professional gentleman"

Ysanna

Southend

Do I need a Fire Door Survey?

Yes! Fire Door Surveys must be conducted regularly to ensure ongoing compliance and safety. This government guidance is useful.

In short, the SFG20 23-17 standard recommends 7 maintenance tasks:

Tasks 1-5 should be conducted monthly by the facilities manager
Task 6 is a 3-month check, again by the facilities manager
Task 7 is a six-monthly check (annually in certain cases), which should be undertaken by a competent person. See Fire Door Survey

Additional surveys are required after any significant building alterations or incidents. And if you think any of your Fire Doors have been compromised.

And don't forget... you must document each survey, noting any defects and actions taken. This record helps in tracking the maintenance history and planning future surveys. And keeping you compliant!

Faulty Fire Doors are dangerous. And could lead to serious fines. Read how Fire Door Surveys keep you safe, in more ways than one!

Fire Door Survey or Fire Door Inspection... what do we do?

We complete a Fire Door Survey, which is more comprehensive than a simple inspection. It covers the state of your Fire Doors. AND the broader compliance with regulations.

Working beyond visual checks it includes an in-depth review and report of compliance with fire safety standards, maintenance history and potential remedial actions.

Crucially, surveys MUST be completed by competent people. A good choice is an accredited professional with BM Trada (or equivalent) certification. In Essex that means Blake Fire and Security!

You tell us which Fire Doors to survey. We'll tell you if these are compliant, what you need to make them compliant and complete the works... to make them compliant!

This information goes into your comprehensive report. This covers the condition of your Fire Doors, compliance status, recommendations for maintenance or upgrades, costings and a strategic plan for ongoing management.

Your compliance headache solved by Blake's. Your one stop shop for passive fire protection!

Who can fit Fire Doors? Do I need a qualified Fire Door supplier or installer?

Only qualified individuals should install or maintain Fire Doors. This is to ensure that your Fire Doors are properly installed and functioning correctly. Improper installation can result in serious safety hazards.

And it can cost you MORE money... this blog post explains more about why a specialist Fire Door company is a MUST!

If you need to have a Fire Door installed be sure to contact qualified professionals at a specialist Fire Door company, such as ourselves. Look for BM Trada, it is the recognised certification for Fire Doors. And should cover both the manufacturer of the door itself and the surround - a door set. AND the person installing the door set!

Many people mistakenly think that any old Fire Door will do... many will try to cut corners. Don't. It won't end well. Read this blog post to find out how you can stay compliant?

Click for your free quote

Still researching? Click here to get advice from the experts on how to ensure your Fire Safety is compliant with Fire Doors legislation.

Blake's services for Fire Door Maintenance

For you to prove compliance as a Responsible Person, we supply an extensive paper trail.

All work is recorded on our Record of Maintenance Activities (RMA) form. Every repair follows Accepted Repair Techniques (ART) and complies with the latest legislation.

We also offer maintenance labelling and asset referencing.

Compliance system for Fire Door Installations

We also offer a complete compliance system for Fire Door Installations, including:

paper trail from manufacture of door set and components through to installation on site;
installing doors to the manufacturers' instructions and only using Fire Stopping products that have a Certifire Certificate of Approval, fire test evidence or global assessment;
a record of all installs on a Record of Installation form included in the door pack;
all our operatives undergo training to work on Fire Doors, recorded on our Record of Training (RTO);
every Fire Door Installation is 1st party surveyed, quality checked and signed off by a BMTRADA trained installer;
the ability to have 3rd party certification.

All this gives you ultimate peace of mind. The whole process, from the doorset itself being certified to the installer being appropriately qualified to fit everything correctly, is recorded and kept on our files as well as yours. You are SAFE, COMPLIANT and LEGAL!

Your 6 step guide to compliant Fire Doors?

Complying with Fire Door regulations is a daunting task for your Responsible Person.

But failing to comply can be expensive... Wasting your budget on the wrong suppliers and equipment will mean your Fire Doors fail the next FRA too!

Your 6 step guide takes the guesswork out of compliance. Making it easy to keep everyone in your building safe from uncontrolled fire...

Download your FREE guide NOW

Dedication to Accreditation

Why you should choose Blake Fire & Security to design, install and maintain your Fire and/or Security system, including Fire Doors.

Long track record - our family-run firm has been installing fire and security protection across four decades. We're not going anywhere. Your guarantee will be honoured!

Dedication to Accreditation - if we're not qualified to provide a service we won't offer it to you! Simple.

Experience & Expertise - we're professional and fully qualified so you get the Fire and/or Security system that is perfect for your specific circumstances.

Who is in your home or premises? - your engineer is always trustworthy, polite and fully qualified,. We have regular checks to ensure this.

Quality workmanship and service - we're passionate about your Fire and/or Security system, our standard of work and the way we deliver it to you.

Blake Fire & Security Systems have BAFE, NSI Gold, SSAIB and BM Trada approval! This means you get:

Bespoke systems - designed to perfectly fit your family's requirements or the needs of your business.

Highest quality systems and equipment - we only use the best quality, industry-approved equipment to provide Fire and/or Security protection that lasts and looks good.

Police and Insurance recognition - our work is guaranteed to be of the highest standard and both Police and Insurance companies acknowledge this.

Regular and reliable monitoring and maintenance - ensure your Fire and/or Security protection is working in your time of need AND someone is always watching over your home or business!

Contact Us

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Accreditations and Memberships

Domestic and commercial clients trust Blake's dedication to accreditation. We always meet or exceed the latest quality standards.

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The latest blog posts from Blake's about Fire Doors

26 May 2022

Fire Door Installations: How to save money and stay compliant

Blake Fire & Security Systems

No Comments

Sadly, with fire door installations, it's very easy to waste money trying to do the right thing. We keep coming across schools, hospitals and businesses with newly installed fire doors that will still fail your next fire risk assessment...

It's not the business owner's fault. Your fire risk assessment says dodgy fire door... you get a new fire door installed but..

2 June 2022

Fire Door inspections or surveys - what your Responsible Person needs to know!

Blake Fire & Security Systems

No Comments

As a building owner, it's crucial you ensure that your fire doors are always in good working order. And that's where your regular fire door inspection comes into play. Obviously, your fire doors provide a critical line of defence against fires spreading and they're required by law. A faulty fire door can not only be […]

13 June 2022

Fire Doors - A Powerful Film By BWF From 2018

Blake Fire & Security Systems

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Most people don't give fire doors a second thought, until we need them. We walk past them and through them at work, in pubs and clubs, forgetting that they save lives. That is, if they are properly installed... In 2018, the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) commissioned five powerful films to raise awareness about Fire Doors.