Fire Doors in HMO’s, Residential Flats and Apartments

You may remember the ‘Lakanal House’ fire which killed six people in a South-East London tower block back in February of 2009. 

At the inquest in 2013 it was found that numerous opportunities were missed to carry out fire safety checks inside the building. 

One of the reasons cited was that due to a lack of fire resistance around doors, the fire and smoke could not be contained for long enough.

Every employer is committed to ensuring their premises do not catch fire, both for obvious commercial reasons and to ensure that employees and others are not harmed by fire.

But, employers that carry out the role of a managing agent or service company, responsible for premises providing residential care, sheltered housing or short term student accommodation, have a deeper responsibility.

In such premises, it is the legal duty under the ‘Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005’, to maintain high standards of fire safety – it falls to the principal person or persons having budgetary control over the property to provide and maintain adequate fire safety systems.

In some cases this may be the one person who heads up or chairs a premises management limited company, or committee, or where the limited company/committee delegates the entire responsibility for the provision of fire safety to the one person, usually the MD, of an external premises management services company.

Fire Doors

In both purpose built and converted premises, fire doors are provided not just for security, access or egress, but are designed to be part of a fire protected compartment. 

A protected compartment is essentially constructed of fire resistant materials which make up the walls, floors and ceilings to resist the ingress of smoke & flames. This affords some protection allowing sufficient time for the fire brigade to attend and put out a fire.

However, the installation of a single fire door such as a tenants or residents front door, as part of fire protection within a protected compartment must offer the same fire and smoke resistance in order to be effective.

Stay put Policy

This is especially important where there is a “Stay put Policy” in place, where upon hearing a fire alarm or discovering a fire, occupants not directly affected by fire or smoke are encouraged to stay in their flat and not make an emergency escape. Of course this depends on how the premises were originally built, the construction materials used and the on-going effective management and maintenance of fire safety systems.

In the case of elderly, infirm or those with disabilities, an emergency evacuation may cause additional anxiety or injury while attempting to escape en mass.

But, a ‘Stay put Policy’ generally assumes that while the originally designed in-fire safety features of each protected compartment remains intact, it ignores the fact that fire doors may become damaged, may be altered or replaced over time, or there may be through wear and tear defects in door furniture or glazing.

Additionally and more crucially, in the case of fire, either within a person’s flat or outside in a common area, the passage of cold & hot smoke and flames through the sides of a fire door, with no smoke seals or intumescent strips, remain a serious concern for those who live in premises with a ‘Stay put Policy’.

This is a matter of concern both for fire risk assessors and for those who own, manage or control premises where occupants are sleeping.

Fire doors look obviously strong and may, depending on the fire rating, stay in place and protect occupants from fire, heat and smoke for at least 30 minutes until the fire brigade arrives. Assuming someone has called them!

It should be noted here that protective intumescent strips, where fitted around fire doors, only operate at temperatures humans cannot survive in – 110 ºC to 150ºC. This leaves the only protection from smoke for those with ‘Stay Put’ policies, to rely on the existence, or not, of smoke seals around their front doors.

Stay put or get out while you can!

Regulators will need to decide whether it is appropriate for a local authority to be in charge of building regulations and refurbishments as a landlord, and whether fire risk assessments need independent monitoring.

Fire Procedure – Stay Put

‘Stay Put’ does not mean do nothing and everyone has a part to play in maintaining fire safety – everyone needs to understand their part in the plan.

A ‘Stay Put’ policy should be based on the following:

• A current fire risk assessment 
• A suitable fire alarm system including smoke/heat detection – normally accommodation areas only
• Concrete floors and staircases 
• Suitable fire doors on all flats, communal areas, cupboards and plant rooms 
• Emergency escape lighting in communal areas – dependent upon complexity of property and level of ‘borrowed’ light available
• 5 Yearly test and inspection of all fixed wiring 
• Annual ‘gas safety’ inspection and test – where appropriate
• Lightening conductor testing every 12 months – where appropriate
• Annual portable appliance testing (PAT)-communal & common areas 
• Effective self-closing devices on fire doors – excluding those required to be kept locked
• No smoking policy-communal area 
• Fire retardant soft furnishings in communal areas & common parts 
• Good housekeeping standards in communal areas.

Our current portfolio of fire safety courses includes:

• Fire awareness
• Fire extinguisher training
• Fire marshal/warden training

All of this can be supported by practical training using our environmentally friendly propane gas training rig which can be used to simulate a variety of different fire types.

We take time to gain an understanding of fire safety in your organisation to ensure we provide meaningful and relevant courses.

Find out more here