Fire Door Propped Open

In the event of a fire it is quite possible that an insurer would be unwilling to pay for damages when a door has been wedged or propped open.

Fire door propped open. Fire doors form an integral part of the fire strategy for shared or multi storey accommodations. The length of time that the door is intended to resist fire. The answer to your question unfortunately is it depends though i can tell you as a general rule of thumb there are no regulatory surveyors who are going to give you a big thumbs. This short post seeks to explain why they shouldn t be propped open whilst it also covers a range of other frequently asked questions on the subject.

Holding your fire door open. Propped open fire doors. The door manufacturer whether the opening is equipped with fire exit hardware any temperature rise rating if it is a smoke door assembly and. Don t prop open the door with wedges or by bending the closing mechanism.

All doors in hazardous areas are required to be self closing regardless if the door is fire rated or just smoke resistant. Aside from possibly rendering the fire door inoperable due to physical damage propping open fire doors will allow products of combustion to migrate into other areas and contribute to the spread and severity of the fire. Occupants may be tempted to prop open fire doors to preclude the need to touch handles. That makes sense however if you leave the door propped open in sleeping accommodation overnight where fire can spred through compartments and cause fatalities or even a workplace that is not occupied overnight but a fire can travel through the compartment leading to more serious fire damage.

The majority of fire doors will hold a fire in a room for 30 minutes by which time the fire rescue service will be on site. To contain fire and smoke. Despite this they re still regularly found propped open preventing them from working as they should. Wedged or propped open fire doors are a common problem.

Section 3 3 238 of the 2012 lsc defines self closing as a door equipped with an approved device that ensures closing after opening. These doors protect stairs labs etc. Fire doors can be heavy restrict access through buildings and prevent a free flow of air which is why people prop them open. Can doors be propped open with a wedge.

If propped open occupants can be in danger using stairs to evacuate and lab research can be threatened by fire spread. If we have doors to staff offices and staff kitchen that have an auto closure device but are not fire doors is it allowed to prop them open with a wedge.