Does anyone know about a legal requirement to inspect Fire Doors?

[Member786488]

Management company saying all 70 flats need their front (fire) doors inspecting due to new regs.
any idea if it’s true?

Why wouldn't it be true? The management company aren't going to waste money doing unnecessary fire inspections.

Given that this is what will stop fire spreading into your flat I'm not sure why you would object. Yes it's a legal requirement.

Yes, new regs (I actually have just been doing something around this!)

Annually for the front door of your flat, and every three months for the communal ones. They'll need access to inspect yours front and back.

It was one of the outcomes of the Grenfell inquiry.

I’m not objecting, just asking.

it’s not a particularly efficient management company, so just checking the info is correct.

@Organaforever every 3 months - I wonder what can change to a (large, heavy) door in that time… hey ho…

Yep we’ve just had this too, along with various other things that need fixing to comply with fire regs.

Yes, its true and lots of fire doors have a seal around them, ever heard the sucking sound some make? The seal can degrade over time.

It doesn't take long to vandalise a door or the closing mechanism. Vandals also don't take notes of how often they damage things and work out a schedule.

You'd be surprised ... vandalism, closing mechanisms, anything. Wouldn't you really rather be safe?

Surely in the real world there is a tradeoff between being safe and the cost of being safe ?

If you wanted maximum safety you could have the doors inspected every day, but that of course would cost a fortune.

" I wonder what can change to a (large, heavy) door in that time"

They can drop on their hinges leaving gaps, the intumescent strips (furry bits round the door/frame) can detach, they can be damaged, the self closers might have failed, the fail safe to open mechanism might have failed. There's plenty that can go wrong with a communal fire door in 3 months.

If the regs have changed, the management company need to make sure the existing doors comply with the new standard. And replace if they don't.

I’ve learned a lot, thank you all.

I don't think mine have ever been inspected and I've been here 17 years
We do have the worlds most shit management company though who would probably stick an extra 2k on the bill for it

Different height buildings have different requirements. So (eg) anything 4 stories or less will have to meet X standard, anything 5-10 stories another, then anything 11stories plus needs the full sprinklers/fire doors to X time etc

@Member786488 is your flat above 4 stories?

well the basement is a pub, then there’s an admin floor with no residential flats, then 3 floors of flats, so I don’t know.
But that’s for the management company to work out I suppose. Not sure how tall it is.

one more question though - if a report on the doors lists work that needs to be done as a TRIVIAL breach of the regs, with a LONGTERM timescale on remedial work, how long is long? I have googled but I can’t find any info that states how long they have to make the changes.
Does anyone know?

This is for buildings with more than 4 stories or more than 11 m tall right.

@breadandroses1992 could you pls provide a link to that whole document pls, or let me know what it is so I can find it?

I’m not sure if this is the same document but it’s very similar. https://fire-risk-assessment-network.com/blog/fire-doors-regulation-10/